Silence is Golden
by The Jabberer
Summary: People think they're the quietest people on Earth. They're not. They chatter, scream, and laugh just like everyone else. They just go unheard. Luckily, they have an acute sense of hearing, and through silent conversations, they'll fall in love. — TezukaOC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Oh, gosh… Prince of Tennis is absolutely addicting. That's all I have to say. Well, that, and that this chapter will probably be heavily edited later once I find myself a beta reader.  
**Summary:** They were probably the quietest people in the entire school—maybe even the planet. But that's not true. They chatter away, and laugh and scream just like everyone else, but no one can hear. Luckily, they have an acute sense of hearing, and through the silent conversations, they fall in love.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Prince of Tennis.

o

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Quiet.

That's how it had always been between Suzuki Shizue and Tezuka Kunimitsu.

Starting from the first day of school, when the two had been assigned to sit next to each other, they hadn't spoken a word to each other unless absolutely necessary. It was how the two of them liked it. Things were less awkward this way, and many headaches were avoided.

It was a sort of pact the two had made the moment they'd sat next to each other. She wouldn't fangirl over him, and he wouldn't try to get her to talk. They would enjoy the silence they held between them, which would not be broken if it could be helped.

Shizue turned a page in her book, biting her lip and silently wishing that the silence would spread to the two girls who were currently giggling in front of her desk. It was hard for her to concentrate on her book whenever girls came to ogle over her seatmate.

"Please be quiet."

Shizue peeked through her bangs and looked at Tezuka in surprise.

He was working on the homework that the teacher had assigned that morning, but everyone knew that he could work in loud places. That is, everyone who could hear the tennis club while they practiced.

She blinked when she realized that he had asked them to be quiet for her sake.

While the two girls pouted and deflated slightly, but grew quiet nonetheless, Shizue smiled at her seatmate in thanks.

Tezuka paused his writing and nodded back.

.

"…and so, this project is on the works of Shakespeare, and will be due in approximately three weeks. I hope you get along with your seatmate well, as you will be working together for quite a few more projects, as well."

Shizue looked down at her notebook and sighed. _'I don't like group projects…'_

While the rest of the class chattered away about anything _other_ than the project, Shizue and Tezuka sat at their desk awkwardly.

"Tezuka-san," Shizue said timidly. "Do you have time to go to the library after school? I'd like to check out books before everyone else does."

He was silent for a few moments. "I can go after tennis practice, if you don't mind waiting."

She nodded. "I'll just prepare everything for when you get there, then."

And that was that.

.

Shizue looked at the clock and sighed. She glanced at the work schedule she had worked out in front of her, which she had drawn out into a table and color-coded. The books she'd found were stacked neatly on the table, as was the binder she'd managed to buy from the store across the street.

Shizue liked things neat. It looked prettier that way, and everything was organized, so it was just easier to function in general.

She was in the middle of reorganizing her notes when Tezuka came, looking slightly frazzled from tennis practice. (She knew it had been a hectic and frustrating one—she'd heard it as it went on just out the window.)

He apologized for being so late, and was just about to sit down when she stopped him.

"Ah! Um… there were some books…" Shizue looked down at her notes, embarrassed.

Tezuka looked down at her short stature, and understood immediately. "Where are they?"

Shizue gestured to the shelves on the other side of the library, still too embarrassed to look up. She wordlessly pushed the list of books she'd made over to him.

His eyes scanned over the list, taking in the titles and the call numbers of the books she hadn't crossed out already.

As Tezuka walked away, Shizue sighed, inwardly degrading herself about her height.

When he came back, Tezuka found that Shizue had laid out the work schedule, the project rubric, some paper, and a pencil in the seat across from her.

"I'm sorry… I had nothing to do, so I asked Ryuzaki-sensei for your practice times and worked a schedule out. Is it—"

He made a noncommittal grunt and picked up the rubric.

Shizue stopped talking gratefully, knowing fully well that Tezuka approved of the schedule. She pushed two plays in towards him, silently urging him to pick one.

He picked _Hamlet_, and she smiled lightly and took _Much Ado About Nothing_.

She had always been a bit of a romantic at heart.

They worked across each other in silence, jotting down important quotes, details, and notes on the play. It was the same kind of comfortable silence they had when they were in the classroom. It was nice, and—

The library doors opened with a bang.

Shizue stiffened slightly. _'Oh, no…'_

"Nya, Tezukaaa! Oishi said you'd be in here. We were just wondering if—_Oh_."

She looked up to see a few of the Regulars standing at the doorway. The one who had been talking, the redhead, was grinning impishly.

"Hohoho!" Here, his grin turned slightly evil. "Were you meeting your girlfriend here? She's so cute! Why didn't you tell us you were dating? Who is she, anyway?"

Tezuka's headache was coming back to him, but before he could answer that _no_, she was not his girlfriend, Inui cut in.

"Suzuki Shizue. Class 3-1. Currently five feet and one inch tall. Weighs 99.7 pounds. Lives in—"

Shizue paled. How did he know so much about her?

"Maa, Inui, you're probably scaring her. You wouldn't want to scare Tezuka's girlfriend, would you? He's probably very protective of her."

Tezuka stood up abruptly and glared at them all, particularly the smiling, brown-haired boy who'd been speaking.

The boy, however, didn't seem to mind the glare, as he went on speaking. "See? He's standing up right now, and that stance—"

"This is a library," Tezuka said stiffly, choosing to ignore the whole 'girlfriend' issue for now. He'd decided that his headache wouldn't be able to take all the protests about how he _should_ start dating his seatmate that would come if he acknowledged it. "Fifteen laps, all of you."

He looked over to a very traumatized-looking Shizue. The look on her face conveyed her message very well.

'_Are they always like this?'_

He nodded grimly and sat down again.

.

The next day, Shizue was bombarded at the school entrance by the red-headed boy from yesterday.

"Hoi, hoi! It's Tezuka's girlfriend!"

"Um, we're—"

"Don't be shy, nya! I'll take you to him! We're having morning practice right now."

She didn't know how they got to there so quickly, but the next thing she knew, Shizue was at the tennis courts.

"Look, everyone! I found Tezuka's girlfriend!"

Shizue's face turned an extremely interesting shade of white at an alarming rate. Everyone at the tennis courts was staring at her fascination, and all those eyes made her brain shut off.

"Eiji."

The red-headed boy who had dragged her there turned. "Tezuka! Look! I brought your girlfriend here for you!"

That seemed to switch everyone's mouths on.

"Eh, you're pretty cute! No wonder Tezuka's dating you!"

"What class are you in?"

"What's your name?

"Since when did Tezuka-buchou have a girlfriend?"

Tezuka rubbed his forehead gingerly and snuck a quick glance at Shizue. The tennis club could be extremely overwhelming for someone who wasn't used to handling them, and she seemed to be terrified of the Regulars alone.

Sure enough, she was standing frozen in shock as everyone crowded around her. When she did find recover from her initial shock, Tezuka could see her desperately forming words with her mouth, though no one could hear her.

It was only when she threw a helpless look in his direction did he remember to step in.

"Everyone! This is unacceptable!"

The entire tennis court was deadly silent, and everyone's attention switched to Tezuka.

"The fact that someone outside of the club is here should not affect the practice at all. Everyone will run twenty laps, and resume practice." He glared at Eiji. "Suzuki-san is not my girlfriend. We were working on our project yesterday, when you misunderstood the situation."

Shizue visibly relaxed at this, and her face got back to a healthier shade of white. (Her face was naturally pale.) She smiled at Tezuka again.

_Thank you_.

He nodded back.

_You're welcome._

o

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**To be continued.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary**: They were probably the quietest people in the entire school—maybe even the planet. But that's not true. They chatter away, and laugh and scream just like everyone else, but no one can hear. Luckily, they have an acute sense of hearing, and through silent conversations, they fall in love.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

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It was one week into the project, and Tezuka and Shizue's project was coming along nicely. They had managed to complete most of their research (much to Shizue's relief. As much as she was a romantic, she and Tezuka had chosen to use the unabridged versions like the overachievers they were, and one could get tired of Shakespeare's extremely flowery language.), and could start working on the poster.

Shizue was on her way to the school library when the librarian, Kato-sensei, zoomed past her.

"Shizue! Oh, I'm so sorry, sweetheart, but I just remembered that I had a doctor's appointment today, so no one's allowed in the library after school. Here, I have some books you could use, just return them tomorrow. Good luck on your project!"

She nodded meekly and watched Kato-sensei speed down the hall and down the stairs, wondering how an elderly woman could move so quickly.

'_She probably runs faster than me.'_

She sighed and looked at the clock. _'Where will Tezuka-san and I work now?'_

Shizue turned around and started walking towards the tennis courts, a sinking feeling pitting in her stomach. She hadn't been to the tennis courts after the whole "girlfriend" incident, and had been doing her best to avoid everyone from the tennis club.

.

Ryuzaki Sumire looked at the girl in front of her in a somewhat gently amused manner. She remembered this girl; it was the same one who had come just last week and asked (very politely, which she approved of) for the practice schedule, explaining that she was working on a project with Tezuka.

"Speak up a little. It's a bit hard to hear you over those maniacs out there," she said, gesturing lazily to the club members outside.

The girl (Suzuki-chan, was it?) looked down, flushing slightly, and cleared her throat. "Um… The school library is closed for this afternoon, and-"

"Is that it? You didn't have to come here to ask if you could wait here. I'm sure he won't mind, since there are already girls watching practices. Go on, go tell him about the situation. He's on Court D."

With that, Ryuzaki-sensei buried herself into some paperwork about something or other before Shizue could ask where Court D even _was_.

After several failed attempts of regaining Ryuzaki-sensei's attention, she sighed and left the office, shutting the door softly. When she looked at the courts, her consideration to ask for directions crumbled under the fear of all the people.

.

Letting her feet lead her around aimlessly, she eventually bumped into a boy with a green bandana on his head.

He turned around and glared. "Fsssssshu."

Shizue paled. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—"

Her squeaking was interrupted by an, "Oy, Mamushi! Which poor girl are you scaring this time?"

They turned to see Momoshiro jogging up to them, smirking slightly, though the smirk was wiped off when he recognized Shizue. "Oh, you're Tezuka-buchou's girlfriend!"

This made her pale even further, as she tried to find her voice to tell him that she and Tezuka weren't dating.

"What are those books for? Did Tezuka-buchou forget something, or are they a present? Here, come on, he's over this way."

Shizue followed him meekly, and finally found her voice. "Tezuka-san and I—"

"You still call him Tezuka-san? I guess he likes the shy type, then."

"We're not—"

"Tezuka-buchou! Your girlfriend's here." Momoshiro grinned and lowered his voice to a stage whisper. "I think she brought you a present."

"Um, I'm not—"

"Aw, don't be shy! Give it to him! Oh, wait, was it supposed to be a surprise? Sorry, I guess I ruined it for you, then."

Tezuka discreetly looked upward, wondering why the majority of the tennis club had to be loud-mouthed. "Momoshiro. Suzuki-san and I are not dating, as she was trying to tell you before you interrupted. I believe I cleared that up last week."

He grinned sheepishly. "I think I was getting a drink of water when you were saying that."

Tezuka glared. "Ten laps, and then go back to your match with Echizen."

He turned to Shizue while Momoshiro jogged away. He took one look at the small stack of books in her arms and her pitiful, longing glances towards the direction of the library (he understood her nervousness around the tennis team, especially after last week's events, but was being in the tennis courts so bad?), and he understood immediately.

She scurried off to the bench he'd turned his head to, which was right behind the spot he was standing on to oversee the practice.

This, for some reason unbeknownst to either Shizue or Tezuka, caused quite the commotion among the tennis club. _(Again.)_

"Saa, Tezuka. You really are protective of Suzuki-san, aren't you? The way you're standing in front of her, it's almost as if you're making sure she's out of harm's way." Fuji thought of a caricature he'd draw of the whole thing later, and chuckled. (Tezuka would be dressed in a traditional samurai's garb, and deflecting multiple tennis balls at once with a tennis racket. Shizue would be sitting nervously in the background, wearing the attire of a Western princess.)

Shizue peeked out from behind Tezuka cautiously, staring at Fuji with brown eyes in horror.

He smiled reassuringly. "There's no need to worry, Suzuki-san. I'm sure Tezuka will gladly protect you from—"

The tennis captain grumbled under his breath, though Shizue seemed to be the only one to notice. "Thirty laps, Fuji. Don't let the presence of a guest disturb your practice match with Inui."

Light footsteps padded away with a sort of natural grace, and the usual comfortable silence between Shizue and Tezuka resurfaced.

At least, that was what they wished would happen. There were murmurs flying throughout everyone in the tennis courts about the two _finally_ dating, and they could both feel a few dirty glares being thrown in Shizue's direction.

"Che. The girl has a pretty face, but she never talks, right? What's so cute about that?"

"Tezuka-buchou and Suzuki-senpai suit each other, huh?"

"Tezuka-kun needs someone more outgoing to balance him out!"

"It's so like him to get a cute girl!"

"What's so good about Suzuki, anyway?"

Shizue visibly flinched, and she could see the two girls smirking out of the corner of her eye.

Biting her lip, she stacked the books neatly onto the bench next to her. When Tezuka turned to look at her questioningly, she paused before giving a shaky smile.

"I think… I think it's better if I wait somewhere else, ne?"

Everyone watched as Shizue stood and edged her way out of the courts. She broke out into a clumsy run towards the school, ducking her head down and nearly knocking into various people.

As the chatter rose up again, Tezuka could only wonder where she'd gone.

.

She wasn't used to running this fast (although to most, it would seem as if she were running at a normal pace), but then again, Shizue was rarely this scared.

"_The girl has a pretty face, but she never talks, right?"_

"_What so good about Suzuki, anyway?"_

Tears were stinging her eyes by the time she stopped running and threw open the door to the music room, panting heavily. Her vision was blurry, but she could still make out the general form of a grand piano in the center of the room, and she stumbled towards it blindly.

'_This is why people are scary…'_

Shizue lifted the cover from the piano keys and settled onto the bench. She took a deep breath, straightened her back, positioned her feet, and curled her fingers onto the keys. **(1)**

_La Campanella _by Liszt was a piece she frequently chose to play when she was frantic or stressed. Shizue could never fully understand why, but she had a feeling that the fast tempo and amount of notes let her relieve some frustrations, while the amount of control it took to execute the piece allowed her to keep a firm grip on her emotions.

It was this song that flowed from her fingers and throughout the school, flooding the entire hallway. Shizue bit her lip when she made mistakes (she hadn't warmed up beforehand), but her muscles relaxed as her fingers grew more accustomed to playing.

'_It's sounding pretty now.'_

She didn't know how long she played for, but Shizue never cared about how long she played. She just cared about what made her _stop_ playing.

"Suzuki-chan?"

Shizue flinched, and she hit an ugly combination of notes that seemed to echo throughout the entire school.

"There you are! Tezuka was looking all over for you." Oishi turned back towards the hallway. "Tezuka! She's over here!"

The seemingly blank expression that Tezuka cast her way was probably the most scolding look she'd ever received.

'_You should have told me you'd be here.'_

She stood up abruptly, cringing at the screech the bench made as it slid away from her. "I'm sorry," she whispered, bowing.

Oishi seemed to sense the atmosphere in the room, and actually seemed relieved. "Well, I'll be going, Tezuka. Good luck on your project!"

As he turned to leave, he looked back at Tezuka and Shizue one more time and smiled

'_He's not mad. That's good.'_

.

They must have stood there awkwardly for five minutes.

Tezuka's face softened slightly, and Shizue sighed in relief.

"Where should we work?"

She smiled, knowing she was fully forgiven. "Anywhere is fine."

They walked out of the room, not quite together, but their steps matched. He led her through the hallways and towards the main entrance, bowing politely to passing teachers who greeted them.

"Tezuka-kun! Suzuki-kun! Working after school again?"

"Yes, Sensei."

"Well, I'm looking forward to your project. You two are tied for the best ranking in your grade; I'm sure the two of you will exceed my expectations."

"Thank you, Sensei."

As the teacher nodded and walked away, Tezuka looked at Shizue.

"I never knew you were also ranked first."

She peeked up at him and looked away. "I asked not to be a part of student council. The principal seemed okay with it, since you were there to be president."

This just brought more questions, but Tezuka pushed them away, scolding himself for nosing around into someone else's life.

Though why he hadn't realized this before, he didn't understand. They were arranged to sit by ranking, and he'd always sat next to her. She was not vice-president of the student council, which could only mean her ranking had been higher than that of number two.

Tezuka frowned. _'It's none of my business. I should stop thinking about it.'_

.

The second they'd walked into the store, Tezuka had silently vanquished all creative rights to Shizue. While she wasn't incredibly artsy compared to the art students at school, she certainly appreciated colors and shapes more than he did, and had probably mapped out a plan for their poster in her head.

He just didn't understand why it would take so long for her to linger between two colors, or even two _shades_ of the same color. Was it a trait that all females shared?

Shizue was currently torn between white and black, and she looked to Tezuka.

He pointed to a random one, which happened to be the black.

She seemed satisfied with his choice (she hadn't pondered over it, like she had when she was torn between an emerald green and red), and began to debate over two shades of blue.

.

When they walked out of the store (Tezuka had paid), Shizue found herself following Tezuka in the direction that she realized led to his home.

This surprised her. Tezuka had always struck her as an extremely private person, to the point where he refused to give his phone number out to anyone, save for a select few. But as they took a subway and walked into a neighborhood with no signs of libraries or cafés, the revelation came to her.

Shizue couldn't help but smile a little, and feel a little flattered by his trust.

.

Tezuka's eyebrow twitched when he saw his grandfather scrutinizing his classmate. Yes, his partner was indeed a female, and he had brought her over to their home, but that did not mean that he had any interest in dating her.

"So," Tezuka Kunikazu peered over the newspaper, "I believe you have someone to introduce to us, Kunimitsu?"

His mother giggled behind her hand.

"Mother, Father, Grandfather. This is Suzuki-san. We're working on a project together."

Shizue never looked up from the floor as she bowed politely. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Suzuke Shizue. I'm sorry for the intrusion."

She shifted her weight from foot to foot and chewed on her bottom lip as Tezuka Kunikazu continued to study her.

He broke out into a small, wry smile, and his grandson inwardly groaned.

"Well, Shizue-chan. Call me Grandfather."

o o o

**(1)– Please go on Youtube and look for Arthur Rubenstein's version of the song Shizue plays. I realize that the fact that he recorded it is an urban legend, but the version of Youtube under Rubenstein's name _is_ the interpretation I would imagine Shizue has, and I think her skill level and style is very important in the story. I still have to find out who the real pianist is, but once I do, I will be sure to leave him/her due credit.  
**

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**A/N: **I'll be leaving incredibly long author's notes at the end for one reason: To improve my writing. There are certain things that I want to get through to you readers, and there are thing that I feel that you all need to grasp about the story. (I've spent too much time obsessing over it for my own good.) I'm just trying to make sure they get across, since I can't trust my writing to do so, and to hopefully get advice.

First, I would like to warn you all that this story will not include much tennis, besides mentions of tennis practice or whatnot, unless a random spur of the moment decision changes the entire course of the story. Yes, I know it's called _Prince of Tennis_, but everyone's in school, and awesome as tennis is, it does not dictate everyone's life, and especially not Shizue's. And while the story includes Tezuka, this is mainly about Shizue and her changing _because_ of Tezuka.

I tried to establish at one point in the chapter that Shizue was not scared of people themselves, but the cruel things people can do. I'll be bringing it up more than once in the story, of course, and she will explain it later herself, but I feel that it's important to know as soon as possible what she's really afraid of. Now's just not the right place in the plot to explain it, since she's not close to anyone yet.

The rating of the story will be changed to T. There will be some more mature themes in the story as it progresses, but nothing hardcore. It's mainly just to be safe, to be honest.

I promised myself I wouldn't use Japanese in an English story! But there's really no English equivalent of 'ne', so I had to use it. It didn't sound right without it.


	3. Chapter 3

Tezuka contemplated hitting his head against the wall, but his grandfather would reprimand him for that. He chose to fume silently instead.

Shizue, on the other hand, was feeling flustered. "Um… G-Grandfather?"

Tezuka's grandfather looked at the two of them. "I approve of her, Kunimitsu. I'm sure she will get along well with the family."

He rubbed his forehead gingerly. "I'm sorry, Grandfather, but you are mistaken. Suzuki-san is merely a partner."

Tezuka Kunikazu regarded them coolly. "It's a pity, Kunimitsu. She's a nice girl, and she suits you well."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you."

Tezuka's mother stepped forward then, smiling warmly to distract from the somewhat icy atmosphere. "We'll let them sort the whole ordeal out while I show you where you two can work. Will you be fine working on the dining table?"

Shizue nodded. "Thank you very much."

Tezuka joined her at the dining table ten minutes later.

.

Tezuka put his all of his concentration on cutting out the circle from a red piece of construction paper that Shizue had drawn. After an incident that resulted in two pieces of paper and one posterboard being wasted, it was agreed that Tezuka would only be cutting things out and pasting them together.

"Suzuki-san."

Shizue looked up and saw Tezuka holding up a red circle.

"Glue it to the paragraph explaining Shakespeare's use of iambic pentameter, please. I already drew a circle around it."

The two were unaware of a certain elderly man scrutinizing them as he sipped his tea. Waving away his daughter-in-law's offering of fruit, he shook his head as his grandson picked up a pair of scissors and looked at the circle determinedly.

'_The boy puts too much effort into such trivial things.'_

His gaze shifted to their guest, and he found himself softening his gaze.

'_She'll do quite nicely.'_

.

Shizue didn't know how, and looking back she never would, but she had been suckered into staying for dinner.

"So, Shizue-chan. What is your current ranking?"

Tezuka snuck a swift peek at her, and interjected to give her a chance to recover from choking on her rice. "She is currently tied with me, Grandfather."

He didn't quite regret answering for her, but he couldn't help but wish she hadn't been so intelligent when he saw his grandfather's expression turn somewhat smug.

His father looked very impressed. "You must be smart. I never knew there was anyone tied with Kunimitsu."

Shizue took a sip of water and looked down shyly. "Ah… I'm not, really… I… don't go out much, so I spend more time studying than most people."

"But you're a hard worker, and that's all that matters." Tezuka's grandfather ate some rice in a seemingly stoic manner, though everyone at the table could see the satisfied gleam in his eyes. "And if I know my grandson… Kunimitsu, you like hard workers, don't you?"

He looked up warily and took a sip of his tea. "Yes. They make good partners for projects."

Tezuka Kuniharu watched as their guest stifled a giggle into her cup of water, and as his grandson looked at her briefly from the corner of his eye.

'_Yes. She'll do.'_

.

"Thank you so much for dinner, Tezuka-san. It was delicious." Shizue bowed politely and padded off quietly to put on her shoes.

"Kunimitsu will walk you home."

She blinked in surprise and slipped on the hardwood floor, grabbing Tezuka's warm-up jacket, which was hanging on the coat rack, for balance.

The elderly man nodded, agreeing with his son. "Back when I was in the force, there were rapists and muggers out in the streets at this hour, and I'm sure the crime rate has only gone up. It's not safe for a girl."

Shizue paled in fright at the thought, and Tezuka seemed to notice, because he gently pried his jacket off of the coat rack and out of her hands, and proceeded to put on his shoes.

He cast his grandfather a stern look, which surprised his parents.

But his grandfather knew exactly why he'd received the light glare.

'_You're scaring her.'_

Shizue slipped on her shoes, hands shaking slightly. Tezuka's grandfather noticed this as well (he'd learned very well to read people's emotions, having taken a part in raising his grandson and being taciturn himself).

"Don't worry, Shizue-chan. I'm sure nothing will happen when Kunimitsu is walking you home."

She looked down meekly, but her hands had stopped shaking. "Yes, sir."

.

It was strange, Shizue decided, having to lead Tezuka around. In the limited amount of time they had spent together, she'd grown accustomed to following him.

It was also scary. The people passing by seemed normal from a distance, but the poor lighting from the streetlights and lit-up buildings made it seem as if their faces were painted with smirks and leers. Someone bumped into her, and she jumped in the opposite direction, bumping into someone else.

Tezuka held back a sigh, and stepped forward to block her from bumping into another passerby.

She jostled into him, and he put a hand on her elbow to stop her from jumping away. He removed it quickly and walked half a step ahead of her.

Shizue took a deep breath and adjusted her pace so she stayed half a step behind him. Tezuka was able to walk in front of her this way, and she could still turn onto different streets without any trouble.

She didn't know if it was the rhythm of their feet—his long strides, and her smaller, more frequent steps, or the silence, or even the fact that she knew Tezuka wouldn't let any harm come to them that calmed her down.

The only other thing that happened during the walk was at the end, when they had reached Shizue's house.

Shizue had stopped and looked at the direction of a house at the end of a street, and Tezuka had stopped to look back.

She bowed deeply, muttering a thank-you and a request to bring all the materials for the project to school tomorrow.

He bowed as well, and headed in the direction of the street tennis courts, knowing he could cut across and have a faster route home. Tezuka paused mid-step and took a swift peek over his shoulder.

Shizue had opened the door, and was walking in.

He turned back and continued walking.

.

The project was completed two days later. Tezuka had dropped it off at their teacher's office **(1)** when they were done, while Shizue rushed off to her piano lesson.

When they got to class the next day, Sensei had showcased it in front of the room, obviously pleased with the work of his two favorite students.

"Class, not only have Tezuka-kun and Suzuki-kun managed to complete their project early, but they have certainly set the standard for the quality I expect from you. Please look closely and make changes to your projects within the day you have left."

The poster was certainly impressive. There was plenty of information—more than what had been required for the project. Everything was neat and organized, with the colors complementing each other nicely. Shizue had spent hours painstakingly tracing simple designs in almost all empty spaces of the poster and going over them with glitter, so it caught the light and sparkled.

There were grumbles across the classroom, and they could hear people making plans to redo their projects. Shizue's acute ears, however, caught something from the middle of the classroom.

"I bet Suzuki made Tezuka-kun do all the work. There's no way she's smart enough to do all of that. Have you ever seen her answer a question in class?"

"Ugh, I hate it when people take advantage of Tezuka-kun. Why does she sit next to him, anyway? She can't be ranked second, she's not the vice-president."

"She's probably ranked last, and they just put her there to raise her grades."

Shizue's hands were shaking, and she had dropped her pencil. She recognized those voices—they belonged to the same girls who had made snide comments about her in the tennis courts.

"_What's so good about Suzuki, anyway?"_

She couldn't go play the piano this time—it was the middle of class, after all. She began to panic as tears blurred her vision, and an almost-inaudible hiccup escaped from her lips.

Tezuka quietly opened his textbook to the page Sensei had mentioned, and, hearing the hiccup, did the same to hers.

.

Contrary to his god-like reputation, Tezuka was a human. He was not perfect; he had faults. One was in the arts, which had been demonstrated during the project. The second was his hearing. While it was impeccable enough to detect quiet rowdiness during practice, it was not been as trained as Shizue's.

He had not heard the derogatory comments being directed towards Shizue from the two classmates who came to ogle over him at breaks.

Tezuka had, however, been able to learn that Shizue's hands would shake if she was frightened, and that the tiny hiccup had meant she was crying. He'd also learned over the three years that his seatmate wouldn't cry very easily.

Something was bothering her, and as he watched her pick up her pencil, he knew she was biting her lip in an attempt to prevent herself from crying.

Tezuka hesitated, wondering if now was the time to scold himself for becoming too concerned in someone else's business.

A tear fell onto the page of Shizue's textbook with a soft _'plop'_.

He decided to keep an eye out for her.

o o o

**1 –** **I know that for schools in America, teachers have no offices because they have their own classrooms. However, in Asia, the students usually stay in one room for the entire day while the teachers come to teach. So where do they keep their things? Why—in offices, of course! Or, if the schools are restricted by a budget, office cubicles. **

o o o

**A/N:** DON'T KILL ME. I know I said I'd write faster with reviews, and I really did, because I wrote this all in about three hours. (A new record!) I just never really had the time to sit and write, thanks to a horrible word called DRAMA.

I know this was short, but it had to be, because this is a much-needed transitional chapter. Because in the next chapter, Tezuka goes into Bodyguard!mode. Sort of. Ish. Okay, not really, but since it's Tezuka, it is. Did that make sense? I hope it did…

I know I make Shizue cry a lot in this story, but it'll get better as the story progresses, because it's about how she starts growing up. But give me your opinion of her, please? Not just aspects you like, I'd like to hear aspects you dislike as well. (Even though I probably won't going around changing them to keep the story in the direction it's headed in, but it's just nice to know.)

And this chapter showed more of Tezuka's viewpoint, just to show that he's learning how to read Shizue now, and how he's getting fonder of her.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I've started replying to all the reviews I've been getting! I probably won't do this for every single chapter that comes out, but I'll definitely be doing it for every chapter I can. I figured that it's only fair this way.

o o o

**Summary: **They were probably the quietest people in school—maybe even the planet. But that's not true. They chatter away, and laugh and scream just like everybody else, but no one can hear. Luckily, they have an acute sense of hearing, and through silent conversations, they fall in love.

o o o

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis

o

o

o

Despite being one of the most popular people who attended Seigaku, Tezuka was completely clueless about the school's latest gossip.

This explained why he was at such a huge loss over _how_ to look out for his seatmate, as he didn't even know what was bothering her.

There was the possibility of becoming more social, but that would eat up too much of the time he spent studying and playing tennis.

He could also ask a more social person for information.

Tezuka briefly ran through a list of the people he trusted. Inui, Fuji, and Eiji were the most informed, but they would either interrogate him about his relationship with Shizue or tease him mercilessly. Momoshiro would have been deemed reliable, were it not for the fact that he would immediately inform the entire school of his sudden interest in the school's news. Echizen and Kaidoh were almost as uninformed as he was.

He settled for someone who knew enough, and was considerate enough to never speak of the coming events again.

.

Oishi stared at his friend and rubbed eyes. "This is all a dream," he moaned. "I'm not hallucinating."

Tezuka gave him a minuscule frown. "Oishi."

He sighed. "This isn't like you. You aren't sick, Tezuka? You look perfectly healthy to me. Are you depressed, then? Fail a test? Feeling like there's no purpose in studying so much, so you decided to give up and be social?"

Tezuka twitched and made a mental note to remember to keep Oishi's tendency of overreacting in mind later.

Oishi shook his head in disbelief. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

He nodded.

Oishi looked out the window and sighed yet again. The whole shock left him feeling a year or two older.

"Well, people around the school are mainly saying that you and Suzuki-chan are dating. I try to tell them they've got the wrong idea whenever I hear it, but they think I'm just helping you cover it up."

Tezuka couldn't decide to be annoyed about the fact that people were assuming things about him, or to be relieved about the fact that Oishi had given him exactly what he was looking for.

"And how are people reacting to this?"

Oishi did a double-take. Tezuka was one of his best friends, and he knew him better than almost everyone in the entire school, but he had _not_ been expecting him to ask for more information.

"Well, everyone's pretty happy about it. Suzuki-chan doesn't have any friends, but she doesn't do anything that makes anyone dislike her."

Tezuka's frown grew more noticeable. "No one dislikes Suzuki-san?"

Oishi shook his head. "Not that I know of. If they do, they keep it hidden."

"Ah."

.

Tezuka went to his grandfather next, hoping that he wouldn't make a huge fuss over the whole ordeal.

"Grandfather."

Tezuka Kunikazu looked up from the newspaper he was reading, and expertly hid his amusement as he watched as his grandson tried (and failed) to be subtle.

"How are you?"

He decided to play along, though he was secretly thinking that his grandson would make a horrible undercover agent. "I'm fine, Kunimitsu."

There was an awkward pause.

"When you were in the police force, what would you do if someone under the risk of undergoing certain danger had to be looked out for?"

'_Yes, he would definitely get himself killed if he went undercover.'_

"Kunimitsu," he said slowly, "why are you asking?"

His grandson stubbornly said nothing, obviously trying to get through the conversation by saying as little as possible.

Kunikazu sighed. "Well, we would make sure that the person would be followed by one of our officers to learn more about the possible threat, and to make sure that they were safe."

"Ah."

He took this as a thank-you, and nodded and went back to his newspaper.

.

Shizue's day had been relatively normal until lunchtime. She'd woken up, brushed her teeth, taken a shower, gotten dressed, kissed her parents' cheeks, eaten breakfast, and went off to school. At school, she'd listened attentively to all of the lectures and finished her book during breaks before getting an early start on her homework.

She'd just taken out her lunch from her bag when she noticed that Tezuka was still sitting in his seat.

Shizue briefly wondered why he wasn't in the cafeteria like he usually was, but dismissed her thoughts as she took a bite out of her _onigiri_. She had to eat fast if she wanted to make it to the library to get a new book before class started again.

When she done, she cleaned off her desk and threw out her trash, and almost bumped into Tezuka, who was doing the same.

'_This is getting a little… odd…'_

He stood by the door as she went back to her seat to fetch her book. He opened the door and stepped to the side to let her through, and walked with her through the hallways, always being careful to be half a step ahead.

Shizue gave him a curious look. It wasn't like him to walk with her, and it was felt strange.

She looked at his back and decided that it wasn't the type of strange that made her suspicious. It was the pleasant kind of strange that sent a faint smile to people's faces.

She blinked when she realized that her own face had a slight smile.

.

Kato Aoi loved her job as a school librarian. She worked in the quietest part of the school, where she would be surrounded by books and the occasional, studious students who would come visit.

She also loved being able to hear the whispers of these students and learn what was happening in their lives, and she was especially eager to do so today, because she'd rarely heard anything about the lives of her two favorite visitors: Suzuki Shizue and Tezuka Kunimitsu.

They had walked in, together, for once, and Tezuka had accompanied her as she turned in her book and walked away to find a new book.

Kato turned a page and strained her ears to hear what was happening five minutes later.

"Tezuka-san…" Shizue was whispering. From the sounds of it, she was flipping through a book to decide if it was interesting. "Um… How did you know I would be going to the library?"

There was a pause, and a creak of wood as Tezuka rested against a table.

"You started your homework during break."

Kato knew Shizue well enough to know that she'd stopped looking through the book, and was staring at him in confusion.

Tezuka spoke again. "You never start your homework in class unless you finish a book."

There was another, longer, pause as Shizue slid the book back into its place on the shelf and picked another one.

"…Why?"

There were footsteps as Tezuka began walking, refusing to answer the question, no doubt. Shizue's footsteps joined them as she hurried to catch up to him.

Kato hastily buried her nose into her book as they walked over to check out the book Shizue was holding, and did her best to hide her knowing smile.

.

Shizue was glad that Tezuka was always walking in front of her. Class had already started when they got back, and he was the only thing that served as a barrier between her and the twenty pairs of eyes staring at them.

She was also glad that she didn't have to explain why they were late, and Tezuka's natural confidence and charisma effortlessly had Sensei excusing them to their seats, and wondering if the book Shizue borrowed seemed interesting.

Shizue blushed and managed to say yes while covering her face.

As the two went back to their seats, they didn't notice two pairs of eyes hidden among the twenty, glaring at her.

.

Tezuka was waiting for her again, and after what had happened at lunch, Shizue knew exactly why and didn't question it while she packed up her things.

He walked a half step in front of her, and they did their best to ignore the giggles and squeals of "They're so cute together!".

Tezuka seemed to have no trouble doing this, but Shizue found herself trotting a little faster to be closer to him when they walked by a particularly large gaggle of giggling girls.

.

Tezuka stopped at the main doors and looked back at Shizue expectantly.

She looked back at him, obviously wondering if he forgot something.

He took hold of her bag and looked at her jacket, silently urging her to put it on.

It was early spring, but it was still chilly. He wouldn't have her getting a cold the day after he'd resolved to keep an eye out for her.

Tezuka waited patiently as she shrugged into her jacket and fastened the buttons, ignoring the sudden crescendo of high-pitched coos.

"That's so _sweet_! I wish my boyfriend did that!"

"They really are perfect together, huh?"

"They even _look_ perfect together. Look at them, they could be models when they grew up!"

"It's so nice that Suzuki-chan has a boyfriend now."

"I wonder when they started going out… It was pretty sudden, don't you think? Where do you think their first date was?"

"I wonder when he asked her out! Have you seen them talk?"

"No, but it's still pretty cute, right?"

Tezuka stared at their reflections in the window, and when he saw that she was all bundled up, handed back her bag.

And off they went.

.

They went to a house that certainly wasn't Shizue's.

There was the sound of a piano playing, and a harsh, "No, no, no! Make it sound _somewhat_ pleasing to the ear, or don't come next time at all!"

Tezuka blinked, but Shizue simply walked in, took off her shoes, and went upstairs and into a room that was completely void of furniture—save for the grand piano in the middle of the room.

She sat at the bench, taking a deep breath and fluttering her fingers.

There was another, "No, play it smoothly! _Smoothly_! You sound like your hands were broken!"

Shizue looked up at Tezuka. "Thank you for bringing me here, Tezuka-san. Please close the door on your way out."

He nodded and turned to the door, only to see a disgruntled, elderly man that he recognized from various television programs, posters, and CD covers walking into the room.

"Shizue!" He barked. "I thought I heard you coming in. Did you hear the student downstairs? His playing is atrocious, and I need you to show him how to _really_ play."

He turned to Tezuka. "A friend of yours? Let him listen. You need to work on that cursed stage fright."

Shizue looked horrified, but nevertheless scrambled to her feet when the man tapped his foot impatiently and bit out a, "Come on! Haven't got all day."

She rushed down the stairs, beckoning Tezuka to do the same. He did.

.

Shizue took a few shaky breaths and fluttered her fingers rapidly. The student next to her, a music conservatory student, was watching her expectantly.

She warmed up with scales—sixteen notes a second, fingers flying. Then a quick set of arpeggios that had the student gape at her in surprise.

"Are you really just a middle school student?" he asked.

"Quiet." The man crossed his arms and watched Shizue's hands with hawk-like eyes. "Don't ruin her concentration."

Shizue stared at the notes in front of her, pushing herself to forget about the two people in the room, about the fact that they were staring at her, and that they would surely be disappointed if she failed to meet their expectations.

Her teacher's strict, no-nonsense voice broke her out of her trance.

"Don't think, Shizue. Play before the fear gets to your fingers."

She hesitated.

"_Now_."

Her fingers landed on the keys, and Chopin's _Fantasie Impromptu_ **(1) **flowed throughout the room.

.

Kondo Minoru furrowed his brow.

The two boys in the room, his student and Shizue's friend, were obviously impressed by her ability.

He, on the other hand, was quite displeased with her performance thus far.

When she had finished playing the song, Shizue was obviously displeased about it as well.

"Shizue," Kondo snapped. "I caught nine mistakes in there. Name them."

She ducked her head. "I played the wrong chords in measures five and thirteen. My tempo was too slow in the beginning, causing me to rush the rest of the piece. I hesitated during my rest at measure thirty-six, causing my left hand to be slower than my right for five measures. I left out the trill in measure fifty-five. I skipped a sixteenth note and added a rest in measure eighty-three. Because of the added rest, my right hand fell behind for two measures."

It was the longest that Tezuka had heard her talk, and he raised his eyebrows a fraction of a inch in shock.

Kondo didn't notice, and went on with his lecture. "Those were not mistakes of carelessness, Shizue. The fear got to your fingers."

She closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes."

"The sound quality was not up to your usual standards. Less emotion was put into the piece than usual, and I saw you using the wrong foot pedal."

Shizue flinched.

"It was the best you have played when you are put under pressure, but you know that I expect more from you, Shizue."

"Yes, sir."

.

After shooing his last student away (he was rambling over how amazing her playing was), he turned back to Shizue.

"Play through your exercises. I'll be back soon." Kondo looked over at Tezuka. "You, come with me."

Tezuka followed him into the kitchen, where he was put given the task to find a tin of cookies and arrange the table.

Kondo studied him. "You're a friend of Shizue's? She's never brought anyone over before, except for her mother."

Tezuka was given no chance to answer.

"Brilliant girl, she is. Of course, I only teach students who show brilliance, but she's something special. You know how I found her?"

Again, there was no chance answer.

.

_Kondo Minoru adjusted his sunglasses and looked over to his friend, who was standing by the cash register._

"_How's business been?"_

_The man chuckled. "A little slow. Want to play something on the piano? Customers might come when they realize that the famous Kondo Minoru is in my shop."_

_He looked over all the instruments, the equipment, and the sheet music, and smirked wryly. "Of course not, you lazy ass. I'm not letting you use me for cheap advertisement. If you wanted money, you shouldn't have quit music school. You played a mean violin."_

_They both noticed a little girl—couldn't be older than four—pressing her face against the window, staring at the piano._

_Kondo's friend rolled his eyes. "I'll get the girl to play, then. I bet she's the next Mozart. Can you imagine that? A prodigy discovered in my shop. It'd bring a lot of customers in."_

_Kondo shook his head. "Yeah, right. A damn prodigy. If she is one, I'll teach her myself. And stop cursing. Deal?"_

_His friend was already opening the door and beckoning the girl to come in._

_Kondo snorted when she did. _'Don't they teach kids not to trust strangers?'

"_Do you play?" his friend was asking._

_She shook her head shyly._

"_Have you heard a song on the piano?"_

_The girl held up one finger._

"_Try to play that, then! It's okay. None of us," his friend threw Konzo a grin, "are good, either."_

_Kondo scowled and mouthed some foul words, but stopped when he heard the girl carefully pressing the keys, one at a time._

_He watched her concentrated expression, and he knew that she wasn't just pressing keys—she was learning the pitches of the notes._

_His friend had noticed to._

_They were both dumbfounded when she put her right hand on the keys and slowly, tentatively…_

_F sharp. E. D. C sharp. B. A. B. C sharp._

_Kondo recognized that tune, and his eyes grew wider behind his sunglasses with each note._

_She was playing the melody to Canon in D._

_The girl frowned when she accidentally hit the wrong note, and quickly changed it. She was starting to use all of her fingers instead of her index finger alone, and her hand was slowly morphing into the correct posture: Knuckles flat, fingers rounded._

_His friend was openly gaping._

_Kondo's eyes narrowed. The girl was clearly playing the piano for the first time—she wouldn't have taken the time to play every note on the piano, or used her index finger to pick out the notes. She wouldn't have picked a song that she hadn't been able to play perfectly, or—_

"_Shizue!" A young woman burst through the door, and rushed over to the girl. "Don't leave like that again, do you understand? I don't care if you don't want to sit next to your cousin during the wedding, you are not to leave my side unless I give my permission!"_

_She threw herself at the girl, sobbing. "We were so worried! What would we have done if you were kidnapped?"_

_Kondo stared at them. The girl, Shizue, had most likely heard Canon in D at the wedding she'd snuck away from. And memorized the melody. And been able to play it on the piano._

_Well, damn._

_His friend looked victorious, and Kondo sighed and took off his sunglasses._

"_Ma'am? My name is Kondo Minoru. Your daughter has a gift, and I want to teach her."_

o o o

**1: **Again, look up Arthur Rubenstein's playing. Please and thank you!

(I assume you all know how Canon goes? It's commonly played at weddings, but if you don't, well… Youtube is wonderful.)

o o o

**A/N:** Er, yes, I know Tezuka was OOC in this chapter, but that was mainly for humorous purposes (if you all got my rather strange sense of humor), since things start getting serious starting the next chapter. (Hint: I have been rereading Sherlock Holmes, and so I was inspired to try to establish a mood of mystery. I'll most likely fail epically, but I suppose that's close enough.)

I didn't quite know how to characterize Oishi. I know he worries about people more than the average teenage boy does, but I feel that most fanfics over-exaggerate his "mother hen" nature. I hope I made him in-character. Oishi's a hard one, and if it weren't for his awesome hair, I think I would have hated him after writing this chapter. So, feedback?

Kondo was actually inspired by my violin teacher. (The strict parts, not the cursing.) I love her to death, but yes, that's how strict she can be. I didn't quite know how else to characterize him, since she's the only competent teacher that I've had, so I just modeled him after her. (I'm not like Shizue, though, the insecure little freak she is. I was listening to Mozart when I wrote this, so you can see where I got the inspiration from.)

You might have noticed the change of style at the end of the chapter. That was just me and my writing morphing a bit to fit the characters. There have been tiny hints of it: more humor when we see the view of some characters, more seriousness in others, etc. Kondo's just… rough around the edges. Kind of like Elvis, only a classical musician. And elderly.

…It sounds crazy, I know.

This was originally supposed to be two separate chapters, but I decided to lump together to give you guys an extra-long chapter this time. You really are amazing, so I'm doing my best to give you the thank-you that you all deserve.

Thank you all so much about the feedback you've given me about Shizue! I'm glad that you all like her. Er… But after this chapter, more feedback, please? I'm trying to avoid making her a Mary Sue like the plague. Of course, more of her flaws in her piano playing will be exposed later. I think all students play better when in the presence of their teacher, so the ones that have been exposed will be shown to be more severe than they appeared.


	5. Chapter 5

Tezuka noticed that Shizue was in a good mood when he saw her walk through the door.

'_No, not walking,'_ he noted as she slid into her seat.

She was almost gliding today.

Shizue's movements had always had fluidity, but they were so unsure, so careful and timid, that the fluidity was almost broken.

Her confidence had gradually increasing for the past few weaks, and most of the timid care had melted away, allowing her grace to come to view.

It was not that of a dancer's or an athlete's, but it certainly distinguished her from the crowd if one knew to look for it.

Tezuka looked at her and nodded.

Shizue smiled and unpacked her bag.

.

Throughout the day, Tezuka noticed that Shizue's newfound ease and grace seemed to diminish with the start of each class.

In math, she'd grown extremely pale as they'd opened their textbooks to start exercises.

She started to bite her lip as she took notes in World History.

Her eyes glistened during English.

During break, Shizue had left to go to the bathroom. When she returned, her breathing was quicker, labored. Her hands were shaking, and her cheeks were flushed.

Tezuka quietly suggested that she go to the nurse, and she immediately refused.

.

Shizue's hands were shaking when Tezuka quickly packed up his things and simply stood at their seat until she left the classroom. Her face gradually got paler with each step she took.

She stopped, not daring to turn her head and look up at him. "Tezuka-san," she murmured. "Why are you walking me home?"

He said nothing, and she walked more briskly.

His footsteps matched hers.

She stopped again in a quieter, less crowded area and spoke again, her voice getting more and more desperate. "Please stop. It's… troublesome. We aren't even friends and… and…"

Tezuka had to strain his ears to hear her, but when he did, it was as if she'd screamed.

"_I don't trust you at all."_

He froze and stared at her in dumbfounded shock.

Shizue whispered something even he couldn't hear, and ran away.

Tezuka wanted to run after her. He could easily have caught up to her, as his long strides would have quickly met her broken, small ones.

But he couldn't find himself able to move.

Something like this had never happened to him before. There had surely been harsh, painful memories and experiences that he could do without. Everyone had those.

No, Tezuka decided. This was nothing like those memories.

He had been trusted by everyone for as long as he could remember. His family had placed a surprisingly large amount of trust in him at a young age, as did his teachers and peers. His teammates did as well, and they all looked up to him and respected him as their captain. He would do nothing that was out of his way, and everyone in contact with him would trust him immediately.

And there was Shizue, the girl, and the one person, who he had truly gone out of his way for. She was also the girl who was running away from him now, apparently intimidated and scared of his presence, which prevented her from trusting him.

Tezuka watched her run around the corner, and didn't dare take a step.

The world he knew had frozen when Shizue had said she didn't trust him.

It would crack completely if he made one wrong move.

.

Three heads popped out of a large bush. A pair of glasses gleamed, and two pairs of blue eyes, one a steely ice blue and one a deep sapphire, widened.

"What did she say, Fuji?" Eiji whispered furiously. "I couldn't hear her."

Fuji stared at the direction Shizue had run in with his open eyes. "She said she didn't trust him at all."

There was the sound of a pencil scribbling away furiously, but Fuji took hold of the notebook. "I think Tezuka should have his privacy from here. Don't you think so, too, Inui?"

Inui agreed.

.

Shizue stumbled numbly through the front door, and mumbled a hello to her mother before going upstairs to her room and collapsing onto the bed.

Her cat, Cherie, had trotted after her and curled up next to her.

She buried her face in Cherie's fur, and the white cat flicked her tail, which brushed against Shizue's head.

.

It was a bright and sunny morning, and she could hear her mother cooking downstairs.

Shizue tied the bow on her uniform, and gently nudged Cherie out the door with her foot as she picked up her bag.

"You're late, today," her father said lightly as she into the kitchen.

She kissed his cheek in response, and took the pieces of toast her mother had prepared for her.

They smiled and waved goodbye to her, reminding her to eat her breakfast.

Shizue obediently took a bite, and the door closed.

She walked on, chewing slowly. Her stomach churned with each chew, and she stopped as she swallowed. A sick taste was left in her mouth.

_Plop._

An eager fly landed on the bitten piece of toast, which now lay in a trashcan.

.

Tezuka refused to look at Shizue as she walked into the classroom that morning. He busied himself with organizing his books, looking ahead at what they would be learning today, _anything_.

He paused when he realized that the newly revealed grace in her movements was once again hidden.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I couldn't reply to a number of reviews, and that made me feel horrible. I'm sorry, it's just that school's been keeping me so busy, that all I had time to do was study, read reviews, study, take exams, study some more, finish exams, and shrivel up and die until my mother slapped me back to life to have me clean the house. So to make it up to you all, I'm dedicating this chapter to you all. You even get your own little section later!

**Summary:** They were probably the quietest people in the entire school—maybe even the planet. But that's not true. They chatter away, and laugh and scream just like everyone else, but no one can hear. Luckily, they have an acute sense of hearing, and through the silent conversations, they fall in love.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis.

.

**Dedicated to:** The reviewers I couldn't reply to. I'd list the names, but during exam time, I lost track of who I replied to and who I didn't. My apologies.

.

Tezuka refused to look at her that morning, and Shizue couldn't blame him.

"_We're not even friends."_

She sat in her chair stiffly, her face rigidly turned away from him.

"_I don't trust you at all."_

Shizue didn't cry. She miraculously hadn't cried after that incident, though tears had threatened to trickle down her face.

She wasn't crying.

What she said had been correct. They technically hadn't been friends. They didn't know much about each other. And if they weren't friends, then there was no reason to place trust in him.

So why was this tearing her up inside?

.

She couldn't focus on classes. The events from the day before were playing in her head, over and over.

"_I don't trust you at all."_

Had she been too harsh on him? She hadn't been able to look at his face, but judging from his behavior that morning, it was obvious that he'd been hurt, at the very least.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the class, and friends immediately sought each other out as the teacher packed up to leave.

Shizue stared at her notebook, and realized that she hadn't been taking notes all morning.

.

Shizue left the classroom during break, and walked quickly towards the direction of the sports clubrooms. She stopped at a door, looked over her shoulder to see if anyone had followed her, and went inside.

A boy was waiting inside.

"Did you do it?"

She nodded numbly, feeling nauseated.

He seemed satisfied. "Good."

Shizue looked into the boy's eyes, and a wave of yesterday's events washed over her.

.

_She'd started discovering notes that were tucked into her books. The first was a crude drawing of a skull, the next told her that Tezuka didn't even like her, he just felt sorry for her, and so on. One told her to meet her by the huge oak tree near the sports clubrooms._

_Shizue contemplated not going, until she turned the note over._

'You'll be sorry if you don't come.'

_She left during break, and stilled when she saw who was waiting for her._

_It was Morita Nobu, the captain of Seigaku's baseball team. Almost on par with Tezuka himself when it came to social standing and respect, and one of the few people who could be considered one of his friends._

_He'd seemed nice from the distance. Why was he threatening her?_

_Morita Nobu smiled and waved a hand lazily in greeting. "So you came. I thought you wouldn't."_

_Shizue kept her mouth shut._

_He gestured for her to come closer. She stumbled forward when his eyes flashed._

"_So… Suzuki Shizue, the quietest girl in school who suddenly became Tezuka's girlfriend…." His eyes skimmed over her, and she shifted uncomfortably._

"_We're not—"_

_He cut her off. "You're not dating, I know. He told me himself. But it's pretty obvious that he thinks you're special, and if Tezuka thinks that a girl is special, it means that it won't be long before he starts dating her."_

_The words that Shizue had been building up the courage to say were forgotten._

_Nobu smiled at her stunned silence. "Quite frankly, I don't know what he sees in you. You're good-looking, but I know he could do better. Besides, what talent do you have? You're not in any clubs, and since you're not in the Student Council, you're not even ranked among the top twenty here. You don't talk to anyone, so you have no friends."_

_Shizue suddenly found herself being pushed against the tree._

"_I know a girl who'd be perfect for Tezuka, and when she saw you with him, it broke her heart." His hand stroked her cheek mockingly, before sliding down to her neck and pushing the collar of her uniform out of the way._

_She wanted to scream for help or kick him out of the way, but the feel of his breath on her skin and his hand stroking her face disgusted her so much, and it petrified her._

"_I want you to break all ties with him before he realizes how much he likes you, Shizue-chan. Can you do that for me? Or for him?" _

_His hand coiled around her slim neck, and he turned his head to whisper in her ear._

"_You were never good for him, anyway. Besides," his grip around her neck grew tighter, "I'm sure you don't want anything… unfortunate… to happen to you."_

_He let go of her, and Shizue dashed away._

.

Shizue snapped back to attention when she heard him clear his throat.

"You can go. I just hope you're not lying to me, for your sake."

She bit her lip and left.

.

Lunch was hard to eat. The food itself would have been delicious on any other day, as her mother's cooking always was, but today, Shizue was fighting off waves of nausea with each chew.

She managed to eat three bites before she threw her lunch away.

"_We're not even friends."_

Shizue froze and looked at the empty desk next to her. Tezuka had chosen to eat in the cafeteria today, and while he had only sat there during lunch once, she realized just how empty the room felt when she was alone.

She shook her head.

"I just said the truth…" she whispered. "I didn't lie. I never lied."

.

Shizue left the classroom alone.

She had a piano lesson today, and instead of going home, she went straight to Kondo's house.

She was very surprised to see him standing there with another girl, one she recognized as a first year from Seigaku.

Kondo looked over at her. "Shizue! Good, just in time. Go upstairs, and set up the cookies. The three of us," he motioned with his hand, "are going to have a chat."

Confused, Shizue did as she was told.

The girl was fidgeting in her seat, while Kondo busied himself with making tea, grumbling all the while. When he finally sat down, he took a sip of his tea before starting his explanation.

"Shizue, you of all people should know that I only teach prodigies. Ryuzaki here…. It is Ryuzaki, right?"

The girl—Ryuzaki—nodded meekly.

"Well, Ryuzaki here doesn't know much besides the basics. I normally wouldn't even bother having her in my home, but her grandmother knows a music teacher at Hyotei. I owe the guy for a favor, so I took her in."

Kondo paused to take a sip of his tea and munch on his cookie.

"I had her play, and she doesn't even qualify for my standards of a beginner. I can't turn her away, so I'm going to trust you to teach her until she does. You are to teach her after school on the days when you don't have lessons with me in one of the music rooms you have at Seigaku. Understand?"

Shizue nodded.

"I'm also going to have you play for her before and after every lesson. It will give her a chance to see what my expectations are, and you a chance to work on your stage fright."

Kondo turned to Ryuzaki.

"Shizue here is the first student I've taught, and she's the best of them—even the ones that already debuted. That's why I remember her name. She would have debuted years ago if she," here, he threw Shizue a particularly nasty glance, "didn't have the worst case of stage fright I've seen in my life."

Shizue looked down at her teacup.

"You'll learn from her until she tells me you're ready."

Kondo finished his tea and looked at Ryuzaki impatiently. "Well, what are you still doing here? You can't disturb Shizue's lesson, and you've already taken twenty minutes out of it!"

.

Kondo stopped Shizue just as she was about to get up.

"You haven't touched your cookies. What's wrong?"

Her lips curled into a smile. "Nothing, sir."

He studied her for a good, long moment. "Liar. You love sweets."

Shizue's smile faltered, and she reached for a cookie. Kondo watched her take a small bite and chew slowly.

Five seconds later, she was running to the bathroom and emptying her stomach in the toilet.

Kondo stood at the doorway of the small bathroom, holding her long hair away from her face.

"What wrong, Shizue? The only time I ever see you like this is when you're just about to perform. What's making you so anxious?"

Shizue leaned her head against the wall and looked away. "Nothing."

This time, Kondo didn't question her.

.

School was just as horrible the next day. It had passed like a dull blur, and it was only when she was about to leave for home did Shizue remember that she would be teaching Ryuzaki today.

She trudged back into the building, and into the music room, where Ryuzaki was waiting.

"Suzuki-senpai!" she bowed. "Thank you for coming!"

Shizue smiled thinly. "H-Hello, Ryuzaki-san."

She sat at the piano bench, and began to warm up in the same manner as she had when she had played for the music conservatory student just a few days ago. Ryuzaki looked on in awe.

"Even Suzuki-senpai's scales are pretty…"

Shizue fluttered her hands over the keys. "Is… Is there a particular song that you want me to play?"

She shook her head.

Shizue bit her lip. _'Don't think. Don't think about anything—not that there's someone staring at me, my fingers. Don't think about messing up. I can't mess up. I can't mess up. I can't, I can't, I can't—'_

Her fingers were stiff, frozen.

"I can't move my fingers," she whispered.

Ryuzaki blinked. "Suzuki-senpai, are you alright?"

"I can't move my fingers," she murmured. "Why can't I move my fingers?"

"_Besides, what talent do you have?"_

"_What's so good about Suzuki, anyway?"_

"_You were never good for him."_

"Don't think about that… Don't think at all. Don't think."

"_We aren't even friends."_

A sob escaped from her lips. "I wasn't lying then. I wasn't lying then. It was the truth. We were never friends… I wasn't lying…"

"_I don't trust you at all."_

"It was the truth… Nothing but the truth… I don't lie. I never lied. Never."

"Suzuki-senpai?"

Shizue leaned forward, resting her forehead on her arms, which landed on the piano with a cacophonous _clang_. She started sobbing, and tears dusted the keys.

"_Liar."_


	7. Chapter 7

Shizue hadn't attended school for the past few days.

Her mother, upon hearing of her regurgitation episode, had ordered her to stay home so she could monitor her diet and, if she was lucky, find out what was wrong.

Shizue had stayed in bed, reading textbooks, sipping the soups her mother would cook for her (though they would later be coming out again ten minutes later), and occasionally going to the living room to play the piano.

Her mother could see that it hadn't done anything for her health, as she was still running to the bathroom after she ate something.

Shizue's father was also getting worried. Shizue would hear him talking to her mother in hushed tones as they shut the door after they said goodnight.

"_Did she say what happened today?"_

_There was a sigh._

"_No, darling, but I think it has something to do with school. Do you think she's getting bullied?"_

.

Shizue woke up to feel a cold, slightly wet nose sniffing her face. When she opened her eyes, she saw Cherie, who instantly began to purr.

"Shizue? Are you awake, sweetie?"

She nodded, slightly disorientated, and felt her stomach drop when she saw the bowl of soup her mother was balancing on a tray.

"I'm sorry, I know you're sick of soup, but just try it. I made it less heavy, so we'll see if it'll go down."

Shizue obediently picked up the spoon, shooing Cherie away from the bowl of soup that she was curiously peering at.

"I know you're not feeling well, but do you think you'll be up to teaching Kondo-sensei's new student today? It's been four days, and I feel guilty whenever her grandmother calls to make sure you're alright."

She nodded numbly.

Her mother sat on the bed, and put a hand on her knee.

"Shizue, you know you can tell us anything, right?"

Shizue looked up from the soup. "I know, Mother."

Her mother sighed. "Well, as long as you know."

Cherie slipped under the blankets and draped herself over Shizue's cold feet, warming them up considerably.

She smiled at the lump on the foot of her bed. "Thank you, Cherie."

Shizue's mother gave her a strained smile. "Cherie-chan really loves you, doesn't she?"

'_Why does her smile look so empty?' _

She secretly twisted her hands in her lap, watching her daughter dip the spoon into her soup and bring it to her lips.

'_I've never seen her like this before.'_

Shizue suddenly stood, knocking over the bowl and spilling its contents. Cherie gave out a startled yowl as her owner ran to the bathroom.

'_Why can't I do anything?'_

.

The mess had been cleaned up, and after Shizue had brushed her teeth, she headed to the piano to calm down.

The keys were spotless, and they gleamed when they caught the light. Shizue rested her fingers on them.

Scales were flying out of her fingers, but they were not of the same quality as they usually were. These scales were rushed, frantic. The arpeggios that followed were sloppy, and she could feel the posture threatening to slip from her fingers. Her warm-up was less than satisfactory, and Shizue knew that she should repeat it until it was, but quite frankly, she didn't care.

She stopped and took several deep breaths. Her emotional turmoil was beginning to affect her playing, something that Kondo would definitely be angry about.

"Utilize your emotions," she whispered, quoting her piano teacher. "Don't let them control the song. Use them to complete the song."

Shizue didn't know what she was going to play, but it seemed her fingers knew for her, because they began to move on their own accord.

Music could be heard throughout the house.

.

Shizue's mother looked up from her lunch.

Shizue was playing the piano again, and while she didn't approve of her daughter playing the piano when she was under-the-weather, she had to admit that Shizue always calmed down whenever she played.

"Her arpeggios didn't sound as good as they usually do," she said to herself thoughtfully.

Silence resonated throughout the house for a minute or two, and Shizue's mother presumed that Shizue was going over her mistakes before starting her warm-up routine again.

She was surprised when she the first movement of Beethoven's _Moonlight Sonata_.

It was a slow song, and Shizue had learned the notes a long time ago—though she could never get it right.

But this time—this time was different. The notes were the epitome of a sort of bittersweet melancholy, and Shizue's mother was finally beginning to understand the meaning behind the piece.

Her hands shook when she remembered discussing Shizue's playing of _Moonlight Sonata_ with Kondo years ago.

.

"_How is she doing, Kondo-sensei?"_

_The man sighed, obviously dissatisfied. "She's got the notes down pat."_

_Shizue's mother raised an eyebrow. "But…?"_

"_She hasn't lived through enough to play the piece correctly."_

"_What do you mean? I thought you said she was playing the notes correctly."_

_Kondo looked impatient. "The notes, yeah. The song?" He looked as if he was about to say something, and decided against it. "No. To play this piece with the right emotions, you have to go through a lot of suffering and emotional turmoil."_

"_Kondo-sensei!" Shizue's mother snapped, holding Shizue to her protectively. "Are you saying my daughter should suffer?"_

_He looked half-amused and half-sad as he expertly ignored her glare. "No, Suzuki-san. But you know she will someday."_

_She stroked her daugher's head. "Well, I know that my little girl won't suffer from anything. I'm sure she'll get the piece eventually."_

_Kondo shook his head sadly. "Do you know the background behind the piece, Suzuki-san?"_

"_No."_

_He sighed. "There's a bunch of jibberish out there. The story farthest from the truth is the one about him being moved by a blind girl who wanted to see the moon. _Moonlight Sonata _was not its original name, Suzuki-san. People call it that because a famous music critic said that the song reminded him of the moon reflecting off of a lake. Its original name was _'Quasi una Fantasia'_, which translates into 'Almost a Fantasy'._

"_Beethoven was teaching a countess named Giuletta Guicardi, and they fell in love. He proposed to her at some point, but she turned him down because her parents refused to let them marry. That's when he wrote this piece."_

_Shizue's mother frowned. "She just needs to recall a sad moment in her life, right? She doesn't need to _suffer_—"_

"_No!" He said sharply. "This movement doesn't stem from sadness or anguish. Beethoven wrote his love in this piece, and how it was torn away from him. That's why it was called, _'Almost a Fantasy'_."_

_Kondo looked out the window, his scowl softening slightly. "I could only play the piece correctly after my wife died."_

_He reached out and grasped the air._

"_It's about being so close to heaven—or maybe just close to getting one step further, and then having everything crash. You have to go through something like having a dream or a goal ripped to pieces. Something negative that would affect the rest of your life, unless you're really lucky."_

_Shizue's mother looked at her daughter, who was soaking in all of the information. "I don't think she'll ever play it correctly, Kondo-sensei. Her father and I will make sure she doesn't go through something like that." _

_Kondo sighed. "You and your husband might be the most overprotective parents I know, but you can't protect her from living, Suzuki-san."_

_He looked at Shizue's eyes. They were big, and unusually light for an Asian. They were more of an amber than a brown._

_And right now, they looked scared._

"_But she's a good kid. I hope you're right._

.

It took Shizue's mother all the strength she had to prevent herself from bursting into tears.

"_It's about being so close to heaven—or maybe just close to getting one step further, and then having everything crash."_

"Just was is she going through? Why won't she tell me what's happening?"

"_I don't think she'll ever play it correctly, Kondo-sensei."_

She buried her face in her hands. "How could I let this happen?"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** I really, really don't like this chapter, but it's the best I could write. School's starting soon, and I'm preparing for an exam I have to take in a few days, so I didn't have the time to rewrite this as much as I'd like. The next one will be better, I swear!  
**Summary:** People think they're the quietest people on Earth. They're not. They chatter, scream, and laugh just like everyone else. They just go unheard. Luckily, they have an acute sense of hearing, and through silent conversations, they'll fall in love. TezukaXOC  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Prince of Tennis.

.

When Ryuzaki Sakuno rang the doorbell of her upperclassman's house, she was expecting her to look a little worse for wear.

She had to hold to hold in her gasp when Shizue opened the door.

Shizue was easily one of the prettiest girls in school—though it was a different beauty than the others'. The other girls at school dyed their hair different shades of brown and worked hard to maintain a shapely bodyline. She held the more traditional grace, with her rather delicately shaped features. Her eyes were large and light. Her nose was straight, and her mouth was small, something that Sakuno envied. With her petite height and slender form, coupled with her pale skin and long, black hair, she would have been a popular bridal candidate during the feudal times.

The only physical flaw, Sakuno mused, would have to be her hands. Or rather, her fingers. They seemed to be too long on someone with Shizue's height, and the nails were extremely short, though she supposed that was to be expected from someone who played the piano.

But when the door was opened and her upperclassman was revealed, Sakuno was forced to admit that Shizue didn't look well at all.

It looked as if she had lost ten pounds in the past few days, and the only way to describe her now was skinny, or gaunt. Shizue's skin looked as if it had been drained, and it was pale to an extremely unhealthy degree, and the sheen of cold sweat on her forehead did nothing to help her.

"Are you alright, Suzuki-senpai? If you don't feel up to it, we could just cancel—"

Shizue cut her off with a small, polite smile and a shake of her head. "Please come in. I'm not contagious."

.

The entire tennis club always knew when Tezuka was in a bad mood. His drills were harsher and tougher, and by the end of practice, many of the members ached to the bone.

Tezuka was in the middle of overseeing their forty-lap run around the court when Fuji appeared to his right.

"Fuji."

If Fuji hadn't been, well, _Fuji_, then he would have broken back off into a run, knowing to add another twenty laps to his count, when Tezuka stared at him.

However, he was Fuji, and the pleasant smile of his stayed in place. "Tezuka."

One of Tezuka's eyes twitched. "You're supposed to be running laps with the others."

Fuji's smile turned slightly sadistic. "I opted for Inui's new juice instead."

They stood there for five seconds until Fuji broke the silence again.

"Tezuka, how has your girlfriend been these days?"

The force of his glare was enough to startle Fuji. _"She's not my girlfriend."_

"I-I see…" He chuckled nervously for a bit in an attempt to calm the atmosphere before speaking again. "But you care for her."

Tezuka's lips pursed together, but his glare melted back to the stern expression that had originally been on his face.

"What did she say to you that day?"

"You were spying."

"That's not the most urgent thing to address here, Tezuka. I'm sure you've realized it by now."

The pause that Fuji got told him that his companion was listening.

"Before she ran off, she said something to you. I couldn't hear what it was."

"I couldn't hear her, either."

Fuji opened his eyes and studied him for a bit. "You must have."

Tezuka glared at a passing club member who was lagging behind the rest. He quickly caught up.

"Tezuka, you're the only one who can _really _hear Suzuki. You're the only one she's not afraid to have a full conversation with, even if you two never really talk out loud. You must have heard her."

"She is not of my concern. As she said that day, we are not friends."

Fuji almost sighed in frustration. "She hasn't been in school for four days. You've been in a horrible mood. People are starting to talk. You have to think back to what she said, Tezuka. Something's wrong, and it's not something you can ignore. You and I both know that she isn't ready to fix it yet, so you have to help her."

There was a long pause before Tezuka turned away. "Go back to the others and tell them to practice their backhands. No less than 100 swings."

Fuji's facial expression made it clear that he was pleased. "Good. You'll think about it, then?"

.

Shizue led Sakuno to the living room. "Do you know how to read the notes, Ryuzaki-san?"

Sakuno nodded, and Shizue looked relieved.

'_I won't have to talk as much.'_

"Why don't you play something for me, Ryuzaki-san? I still have to know how advanced your skill level is."

The girl sat awkwardly on the piano bench, and started to play _Canon in D_.

Shizue stopped her. "You have to warm up first," she said gently.

Sakuno blinked. "Warm up?"

The upperclassmen sat next to her and played a scale with her right hand. "You have to warm up prior to a performance or lesson if you want to play your best. Warming up prepares you mentally for your performance, and gets your fingers ready. It also trains your ear."

A set of scales flew from her fingers.

"Play all the scales. When you're a beginner, or if you're preparing for a concert, it's best to play them slowly at first, and then pick up the tempo gradually. After that, play arpeggios."

Sakuno watched her fingers move in awe. "Can you play something for me, Suzuki-senpai?"

Shizue bit her lip to refrain from sighing. "I… I'm supposed to, anyway."

A hesitant, broken version of _Canon in D_ could be heard throughout the house.

.

Tezuka found himself dwelling on Shizue's words, just as Fuji wanted him to.

"_It's… troublesome."_

"_We aren't even friends."_

"_I don't trust you at all."_

He expertly squashed down the emotions—_What were they?_—that were flooding his chest.

"_I don't trust you at all."_

Tezuka started walking to inspect the courts.

'_She had said something after that, hadn't she?'_ he thought. _'What was it?'_

His foot touched a tennis ball that had been left during clean-up. Tezuka glared at it and picked it up.

"It's none of my business," he reminded himself firmly.

"_Something's wrong, and it's not something you can ignore."_

She had run away.

"_I don't trust you at all."_

Why had she run away?

"_We're not even friends."_

Tezuka suddenly thought of—of all things—Shizue's slightly crooked tooth. It was right next to her two front teeth, and was certainly noticeable when she smiled widely enough to show it, but it was a flaw that had a way of endearing itself to people.

"_Please stop. It's… troublesome."_

He stopped by the sinks to wash his face, and thought of the tears that had plopped onto Shizue's textbook the other day.

"_We're not even friends."_

What had she said?

"_I don't trust you at all."_

Tezuka wiped his face on his towel and put on his glasses. He froze when it hit him—for some reason, it _literally_ felt like he had been punched, and the wind had been knocked out of him.

The towel fell, but by the time it hit the ground, he had already broken off into a run.

"_Help me."_

.

Morita Nobu was about just about to go home when a blur he recognized as Tezuka passed him.

"Yo, Tezuka!" he called. "Where are you going?"

Tezuka stopped and looked back. "Suzuki-san's house."

The baseball player clenched his fist, but managed to fix an easygoing smile on his face. "You can borrow my bike, then. It'll get you there faster."

His friend nodded. "I'll return it tomorrow."

.

Shizue was in the middle of correcting Sakuno's posture when her mother led Tezuka into the living room.

She froze.

He stared at her for what seemed to be a long time before he spoke.

"What's wrong?"

Her throat was suddenly dry.

"Nothing," she rasped.

Tezuka's eyebrows furrowed together, and he scrutinized her again.

"No," he said. "Something's wrong."

He strode towards her in two steps.

Shizue looked down and shook her head frantically.

"You said you need my help."

She looked up at him, the last words she had said that day finally sinking in, and, mortified, burst into tears.

Tezuka watched, waiting for her to calm down. When she didn't, he dropped a box of tissues into her lap and turned to leave in defeat.

"Tell me when you're ready."

.

Sakuno watched the exchange, too scared to move, and finally plucked some tissues and placed them into Shizue's hand after Tezuka had left.

She didn't quit know what to say, so she timidly left the room to ask Shizue's mother if they could go to the nearby park. After receiving permission, she went back and gently pulled her senior up by the arm and out the door, taking the box of tissues with her.

They sat on the bench in the park, and although it was awkward, Sakuno was thankful that the park was quiet. She had grown fond of her senior—she was always gentle, and they were so similar, so she was comfortable to be around—and she'd hate to have her cry in public.

"Suzuki-senpai," she said after Shizue had finally stopped crying, "I know I can't be of much help if Tezuka-senpai can't, but is there anything I can do?"

Shizue looked at her hands. "It's best if you tried not to, Ryuzaki-san."

The two of them didn't dare to speak for a while, until Sakuno scrapped up the strength to piece together a sentence.

"You're my favorite senior, Suzuki-senpai." She ducked her head in a vain effort to cover the blush creeping up her neck. "Y-You're quiet, nice, and… shy, like me, I guess."

Shizue bit her lip, letting the words sink in. "I'm not shy," she murmured.

"Really?"

She shook her head. "No… I just—I'm just afraid of people. They can do horrible things, and… it's hard to tell if someone really is nice, or if they have their own motive. I'm always afraid that I'll get hurt by everyone I come across, so I just… I just try to avoid people."

Sakuno gazed at the horizon. "Are you afraid of me?"

Shizue looked at her thoughtfully, and gave her a gentle smile. "No. I guess I'm not."

The brown-haired girl smiled back. "I'm glad."

The two girls sat on the bench, and did nothing but feel the silence between them make its transition from stiff to contented.

.

**A/N:**

I apologize for the longer wait! I rewrote this chapter a few times, and while I still don't like it as much as the others, it'll have to do, because this was the best I could crank out.

Er… Please excuse the OOCness of the characters. I know Tezuka talked too much, and that Fuji was a bit too forceful, and ick, even my _original_ character was OOC, but this was necessary. They'll be in-character again in the next chapter, I promise.

Yeah, this chapter was obviously rushed, and honestly, I'm sure you all can tell. It finally got back to its usual flow eventually at the part with Tezuka thinking. (It's really the only part I liked about this chapter. I know, it was repetitive, but it was Tezuka's train of thoughts.) And then… it goes off at the end.

Gah, so much angst! I swear, the next chapter will be the last one with angst, and we'll be back with fluff again! (I'm looking forward to writing it. It'll be refreshing.) But I added a physical description of Shizue, which is what a few of you guys wanted. I hope you're satisfied!

Just to be clear, I know that I said that Shizue's only physical flaw was the size of her hands and then said that she had a slightly crooked tooth, but that was because of the different focuses of the characters. Sakuno (the one who pointed out the size of her hands) didn't know about the crooked tooth because she had not seen Shizue smile so widely. Tezuka, on the other hand, has. She obviously has more flaws, and those will be exposed as they get to know her.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** HOLY CRAP, ALL. OVER 100 REVIEWS.  
**Summary:** People think they're the quietest people on Earth. They're not. They chatter, scream, and laugh just like everyone else. They just go unheard. Luckily, they have an acute sense of hearing, and through silent conversations, they'll fall in love. TezukaXOC  
**Disclaimer:**I do not own Prince of Tennis.

.

Shizue waved goodbye to Sakuno, brushing off her junior's concerns about going home alone.

"It's just one block down the road, Ryuzaki-san. You should go before it gets too dark."

As she was walking back, she just wished that she really were that brave. But the streetlights were lit brightly, and there were no people, and _she could do this_.

"Ah, Suzuki-chan. What a coincidence!"

Shizue froze. She knew that voice. It was slick and smooth, and the way it seemed to cut through the silence made the hairs on the back of her neck stand.

An arm was slung casually over her shoulder, and she was pulled closer to Morita Nobu.

"I thought I warned you to stay away from Tezuka. What was he doing at your house?"

She stepped away from him, but the grip on her shoulder tightened. A rather heavy hand was splayed across her stomach, and it was creeping everywhere.

"S-Stop—"

The look on his face was almost pitying. "I warned you to listen to me, didn't I? You brought this onto yourself."

There were three pairs of footsteps coming closer, and the mood of it all—the eerie silence, the suddenly flickering streetlight, the cloud passing over the moon, made them seem ominous.

Shizue wished she were wrong.

"Oy, Morita! What did you call us out for?"

The lazy grin on his face was getting less charismatic by the second.

Shizue found herself shoved and sprawled on the ground.

"She's all yours, guys."

All she could see was their silhouettes, but she could see their faces simultaneously flash with smiles and predatory gleams.

And then the adrenaline kicked in, and she was only partially aware of her actions. (One second, she was crawling. The next, she was suddenly on her feet and breaking out into a run.) The rest of her mind was focused on the sounds of three people running after her, and that she needed help, and wondering _why she was running in the opposite direction of her house_.

Shizue wanted to scream, but for some reason—she didn't know if it was because her throat seemed to be clogged with fear or if it was because the last time when she had really _screamed_ had been when she was five, during a failed tantrum—nothing but rasps and heavy breathing came out.

The footsteps were getting closer.

She made a sharp turn and jumped through some bushes, not caring about the scratches the leaves and branches gave her, and then she ran again.

'_Where am I going?'_

They were a few feet behind her now.

_Pok._

_Pok._

'_What's that sound?'_

_Pok._

_Pok._

There was a fitness center, and she could hear machines shooting out tennis balls. Someone was hitting them. He was tall, and his every movement was seemed like a graceful collaboration of all the intricate muscles in his body.

It was too far to make out the hair color, or even the style, but she was hoping so much, and she knew it was he.

She opened her mouth and took a deep breath, just as a pair of hands grabbed her.

"_TEZUKA-SAN!"_

.

Tezuka's body was running towards the voice before his brain could comprehend whom it belonged to.

There were three boys—around his age, and then there was Shizue.

Her arms were being held forcefully, and two hands were creeping up her thighs and under her skirt, and the others were reaching to undo the buttons of her shirt.

He stopped right in front of them, and the boys froze.

His voice—his entire body—was shaking with rage, and he wanted nothing more than to just _pull them away_ from Shizue and—

Tezuka spoke before he could finish those thoughts.

"Get away from her."

Two boys ran away immediately, but the one with the hands up her skirt simply sneered.

Tezuka bent down and forced the boy up with the collar of his shirt. His face was stoic as usual, but there was something raw, something barely controlled, in his eyes.

"_I suggest you leave her alone,"_ he said.

He let go, and the boy landed on the ground and scrambled away.

He looked at Shizue. She was shaking, and there were scratches on her legs and bruises on her arms from the strong grip she had been held in.

Tezuka crouched down near her, his eyes softening enough to ask a silent question.

_Are you alright?_

She shivered, and he stood, beckoning for her to follow him.

.

They sat on a bench. Tezuka had gotten a bottle of water from the nearby vending machine, and Shizue was sipping it.

Neither one of them said anything, but Tezuka kept glancing over to assess the damage, and Shizue kept avoiding his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I didn't—I didn't mean what I said."

The intensity of his gaze forced her eyes to meet his. "What happened?"

And then it all spilled out. There weren't any tears, but her voice came out in dry, cracked sobs.

Tezuka sat there, listening intently. He listened to everything she'd unknowingly wanted to say—a scramble of apologies and the mix of her accounts of the threats, the harassment, the molestation. He pieced together the events of the past few days, and she rambled on.

It was the most she had ever spoken in one conversation. It was the most Tezuka had been so focused in one.

.

Shizue found herself putting on her uniform the next day. She frowned as her socks drooped down—she'd lost more weight that she'd thought.

She found her parents in their usual morning routine. Her mother was busying herself on the stove, humming softly, and her father was sitting at the head of the table with his head buried in a newspaper.

They both looked up as she entered.

"Are you sure you can go to school, sweetie?" Her mother asked nervously. "I can always call you in sick if you're not feeling well."

Shizue smiled gently and reached down to pet Cherie, who was rubbing her ankles. "I'm fine, Mother. Someone's coming to pick me up today, and he'll be here soon."

Her father's brow furrowed. "He?"

The doorbell rang, and before Shizue could get up, her father was already striding briskly towards the door.

.

The door opened, and Tezuka was surprised to see not Shizue, but a middle-aged man with horn-rimmed glasses.

"I take it you're here to pick up my daughter."

Tezuka bowed. "Yes, sir. My name is Tezuka Kunimitsu. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Shizue's father looked startled at his perfect, ninety-degree bow and his extremely formal, perfectly articulated speech.

Shizue appeared behind her father, a slice of toast in hand. "We should be going now, Father. We'll be late."

She kissed his cheek and slipped on her shoes.

Her father watched, dumbstruck, as the two set off. His daughter was trailing about a half-step behind the boy, but she looked comfortable.

He closed the door and turned to his wife. "He seems like a nice young man, but I still think she's too young."

.

Tezuka looked back at her again.

He had just noticed her loss of weight, and her forlorn, slightly nauseous gaze at her breakfast.

He suddenly walked to a vending machine, and got her some juice. "It helps the food go down."

She smiled back timidly, and took a bite.

.

The day had gone surprisingly well. All her time looking at the textbooks had paid off—there was no need for her to spend time catching up in her classes, because she was already ahead. The toast stayed in her stomach all morning, and at lunch, it was just Tezuka and her in the classroom.

He stood when she finished eating, and after they threw out their trash, he started going towards the door.

Shizue tilted her head, confused, but trotted after him when he beckoned her to follow.

They weaved through hallways and corridors until they reached a set of doors that led to the roof. Tezuka pushed the doors open with a loud _creak_, and they were met with a gust of wind whipping their faces.

"Hey, Tezuka. What did you want to talk to me about?"

And when Shizue looked out from behind Tezuka to confirm who it was, she wanted to scream.

Because standing in the middle of the roof was Morita Nobu.

.

Tezuka narrowed his eyes. Looking back, he saw Shizue—understandably—paralyzed with fear. He hesitated before gently grasping her sleeve and tugging her towards Nobu's direction.

The other boy lifted his chin to meet his gaze. "Why is she here?"

He felt his face twist into something that resembled a scowl. "You will apologize to Suzuki-san for your actions."

Nobu lip started to tremble, but he leveled his stare. "No."

Tezuka gripped Shizue's sleeve more tightly in an effort to control his emotions and prevent himself from _forcing that boy on his knees_. "You threatened her, and you had three boys _molest_ and attempt to _rape_ her. You will apologize."

Nobu was glaring back, but he could tell that it was just to hold back tears. "I know my actions were wrong, but I had reasons behind them that you wouldn't understand."

Tezuka released his fistful of Shizue's sleeve and stepped forward. "Your actions deserve an apology, at the very least. The reasons do not matter."

The boy grabbed Tezuka's collar. "Don't you _dare_ say the reasons don't matter. You don't even know what they are."

He grabbed Nobu's wrists. "What are they, then? What could have been so important that it led to Shizue being harmed?"

There were tears streaming down Nobu's face now. "You idiot!" he screamed. "You never noticed? My sister—my twin sister—is in your class. She's been killing herself trying to get your attention. She'll faint because of her dieting, she'll study until three in the morning to keep her grades up _just to stay in the same class as you_, she works after school so she can have money for make-up and accessories, and she makes a lunch for you _every single day_. She's liked you since the first year, and every Valentine's Day, when you reject her chocolate's, she comes home crying!"

He pointed wildly in Shizue's direction. "_That girl_ suddenly started getting close to you, and that broke her heart! She'd worked so hard! Do you know what's that done to her? Don't you see what _that girl_ did to my sister?"

Tezuka looked at him, and there wasn't an ounce of softness in his eyes. "See you've done to Shizue?"

Nobu looked.

This was a girl who, despite what he tried to think, was the prettiest girl in school by a long run. She had been delicate, like an ancient porcelain doll.

This was a girl who, after everything he'd done, had a fearful, almost wild expression in her eyes. Her entire body was gaunt and all angles, there was no more of the soft slenderness that had been there just a week earlier. There were scratches covering her legs, and when the wind blew at her uniform, he could see bruises on her arms.

"Oh, god…" he whispered.

Tezuka wrenched himself away and walked back to the doors that would lead back into the school.

_That girl_—Suzuki Shizue—glanced back and, after meeting Nobu's gaze, hurried after him.

.

The two were walking again. They were leaving the school this time, and Tezuka was escorting her home.

Tezuka suddenly stopped and turned around.

Shizue blinked at him, startled.

He bowed. "I apologize."

He held that position for a long time, until she broke the silence.

"What for?"

Tezuka refused to take lift his head and take his eyes off the ground. "I couldn't get him to apologize for… for his actions."

They stayed like that for what seemed like hours, until Shizue broke the silence yet again.

"Tezuka-kun."

He straightened, surprised by her sudden change in formalities.

Shizue's face was flushed bright pink, but her eyes were shining with courage. "You called me by my first name then," she murmured, "and I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to return the favor. But what happened back there…"

She paused.

Cherry blossoms flew off the trees as a breeze blew, and swirled around them.

She suddenly broke out into a wide smile, and Tezuka could see her crooked tooth.

"I don't need his apology," she said slowly, each word getting surer as she spoke. "I… I don't need his apology, but thank you. For trying."

Tezuka looked at her. She was skinny to an unhealthy extreme, her uniform couldn't fit her properly, there were scratches littering her legs, and her hair was mussed by the wind.

But there was that smile, the one that showed that beloved tooth, the one he hadn't seen in what felt like a long time.

He could feel his lips twitch up ever so slightly as he allowed himself to think that she looked the prettiest then than any other time he saw her.

'_Don't let your—'_

He could scold himself about letting his guard down later, because he knew that this moment would not last forever, and he would live in it for as long as it lasted.

.

**A/N:**

WOOT, IT'S THE END OF ALL THE ANGST!

(Er, no, this is not the end. Shizue still has a lot of developing to do, even if this chapter was a huge step for her.)

Shizue's finally spoken! This whole sub-plot was totally inspired by _Speak_, by Laurie Halse Anderson and _Koizora_. You can probably see the similarities to an extent. I just Shizue-fied it all.

Well, now you all know why Nobu did all that! I hope I made it realistic enough—it took me a while to plan all that out. I considered insanity, mental breakdowns, being secretly infatuated with Shizue, and much more. This was the most realistic in my mind, and I hope my writing made it somewhat believable—he's really just a brother who tries to do the best for his baby sister—he just too wrapped up in it and got carried away. But it's all good, because he finally realizes his actions, proving that LOVE CONQUERS ALL. (Not really… If it did, he would have apologized.)

The ending was so incredibly fluffy, but I was _itching_ to write it after all the angst. It was actually the very first scene I wanted to write—the thing that gave me the whole idea for this story, now that I think about it, but I figured that I'd save it for the right time.

Er… Tezuka wasn't too OOC, I hope? I went into his thoughts, but I tried to make it clear that he didn't beat anyone up or you know, make out with Shizue. He mainly just stood there and forced himself to keep calm unless something serious happened (Shizue's almost-rape incident), or if he had to act out of self-defense (grabbing Nobu's wrists).

It's so interesting to write Tezuka's thoughts, since he could be thinking about anything behind that expression of his…

Tell me what you all think! This was the one chapter that I wanted to write the entire story, so even for the silent readers out there, I want to know what your reactions are. I don't care if you don't leave reviews for the rest of the story (though it would, be nice, just saying), it's this chapter in particular that I have a soft spot for. Please and thank you!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** It's long overdue, I know.  
**Summary**: People think they're the quietest people on Earth. They're not. They chatter, scream, and laugh just like everyone else. They just go unheard. Luckily, they have an acute sense of hearing, and through silent conversations, they'll fall in love. TezukaXOC  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Prince of Tennis.

o

o

o

After the Nobu Incident, all of Seigaku noticed a change in Shizue and Tezuka's relationship. The change was subtle, almost nonexistent upon first glance, but it spoke volumes and had Seigaku in an uproar.

Shizue and Tezuka were now virtually inseparable, and could be seen together almost every second of the day.

In the mornings, they could be seen walking through the gates, looking like model students with their pristine, properly-worn uniforms.

During school, they'd be sitting next to each other, working diligently, or walking to the library.

After school, if she didn't have piano lessons, Shizue would be in the library working on her homework or in the practice rooms playing the piano with Sakuno, while Tezuka oversaw tennis practice until they would walk home together.

And in all this, they were still immersed in silence.

The students (and some teachers) of Seigaku were left in a puddle of confusion and frustration, wondering what the heck the relationship was between them.

.

Shizue was beaming when she left for home after her piano lesson. The lessons always left her in a good mood, but for once, her usually-gruff teacher had given her some praise.

"_You're playing the pieces with more accurate emotion for once."_

By the time she'd arrived home, her mother had dinner set up on the table. She sat and ate heartily, listening to her parents chatter away and smiling when they glanced in her direction.

When she was done, she went upstairs to do her homework. The new concept in science was a bit confusing, and she wanted to have it down pat by the end of the night.

.

Tezuka opened the clubroom door to leave, the satisfaction of the day's practice evident on his face–a rare occurrence that had the rest of the club members in good cheers.

He bumped into Fuji, who was just about to leave as well, at the doorway.

Fuji beamed. "Ah, Tezuka!"

Tezuka nodded, and they set off together.

They'd walked about five steps when Fuji cheerfully broke the silence with a coy, "So you followed my advice after all."

The captain stiffened slightly, but nodded. "…Ah."

Fuji relished in the moment of his impossible feat of making Tezuka squirm, but quickly smothered it down when the sadistic glee was evident on his face. Thankfully, his friend was a too occupied thinking to notice.

'_He's not focused on the conversation? Interesting…'_

Smiling, he snapped him back to attention. "Suzuki-san seems to have a good effect on you."

Tezuka's seemingly-emotionless look wasn't enough to fool him. There was a slightly dumbfounded look in his eyes, so Fuji waited a few seconds to gloat once again before elaborating.

"You've been much less strict nowadays, but you've still managed to get everyone more focused than ever on the tennis season, and Inui says your performance has been better than it's been in years."

Tezuka looked annoyed, so Fuji decided to back away. "Well, I have to go buy some grip tape. See you tomorrow, Tezuka."

.

Shizue looked up from her textbook and smiled at Cherie.

The cat was looking up at her with a hopeful expression in her eyes.

"Oh," she murmured, "alright. But just this once."

Shizue scooped up her cat and set her in her lap, idly petting the long, soft fur. She giggled softly when Cherie purred and flicked her tail across her legs.

"That tickles, Cherie!"

When the cat rubbed her head against her hand, Shizue's smile widened, and she sighed softly.

"Did you know," she whispered into her ear, "that the past three days have been great?"

Cherie's ear flicked —probably because her breath tickled her ear, but Shizue liked to think of it as a response.

As she looked back at her textbook, her smile pursed into an unsatisfied frown.

"Well, this one will be, too, once I can understand the mechanisms of a eukaryotic cell. I've been reading this for two hours… Sorry, Cherie, but I have to get back to this."

Gently setting the cat onto the floor and shooing her out of the room, Shizue closed her eyes briefly and took a drink of water before focusing again on the book.

.

She still didn't understand the concept by the time she went to bed, but Shizue wasn't as troubled as she'd thought she be. She could simply as Tezuka to explain the concept to her on the way to school.

She did just that, and she listened to Tezuka's voice explain it all to her during their walk.

'_He can really chatter when he has to,'_ she thought, highly amused.

And as focused as she was on his explanation, there was a small part of her that wondered if things were always going to be like this.

If they were, then she'd look forward to going to school every day.

.

The next few days had the same breezy, blissful flow and routine as the others, but it all came to a halt one afternoon. The halt wasn't as steadier than the one before, but it was a halt all the same.

They were walking home from school, and they—rather, Tezuka, but Shizue didn't mind—had decided to stop by a quiet café.

It was something that had been built into their routine. The comfortable silence between them remained, but the trips to the café hadn't been for talking. Shizue had glanced through the window at their selection of cakes, and Tezuka had thought that she could do with the extra food, and that a cup of tea would be good for his headache.

But on this day, Tezuka initiated a conversation.

"Shizue."

The girl looked up from her cake brightly.

He set down his empty cup of tea. "Next week, I will be going to Germany."

Shizue's eyes widened, and she said nothing for a good, long minute until she whispered, "Will you come back?"

"I will be going to rehabilitation center to allow my shoulder to recuperate from the match I recently had with Hyoutei," he said stiffly. "The amount of time it will take for me to fully recover is not yet known, but yes, I will come back."

She smiled, the epitome of sincerity and earnestness.

'_I hope you get better soon.'_

Tezuka cleared his throat awkwardly.

'_Aa.'_

When she reached for her bag to get her wallet without finishing her cake, Tezuka's face flashed briefly with concern.

She noticed, and she smiled softly.

'_Don't worry.'_

The corners of his lips turned down in a minuscule frown, but she tilted her head and smiled that same, soft, wistful smile again.

'_I'll be fine.'_

The furrow in his brow that remained told her that he didn't believe her.

.

"Mother?"

Shizue's mother looked at her daughter, who was currently sitting in front of her piano. "What is it, Shizue?"

She watched as her daughter played with the keys tentatively, chewing at her lip in deep thought.

"How do you show your support for someone when they're thousands of miles away?"

Shizue's mother had to hide her smile as she put down her magazine. "Why do you ask?"

Shizue stopped playing and looked up. "Tezuka-kun is going to Germany to heal his shoulder."

Her poor daughter looked so lost and confused, that she had to laugh. "You don't necessarily need to show your support, sweetie. He just needs to know."

"I know, but…"

She smiled and wrapped her up in a hug. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll come up with something."

.

It was a rare occasion for both Shizue and Tezuka to have no after-school activities, but it happened the next day.

They were walking out of their classroom when Shizue stopped him from turning to the left.

"Can we go to the music room today?"

He was surprised, but he led her to the music room like she asked, wondering why she wanted to go there.

Tezuka watched as she sat at the piano, lifting the cover from the keys, and noticed that her hands were shaking. She was obviously scared, but there was a combination of anticipation and determination in her eyes, so he stood and watched.

Her hand hit the keys, and her fingers started flying.

He recognized the tune to be Liszt's _Liebestraum_.

Her skill level was clearly remarkable, but of all of the interpretations he'd heard, this was too rushed, too fast, for a dreamy love song.

She'd finished in record time, and the look on her face told him that she was nowhere near satisfied.

"Tezuka-kun," she murmured. "Believe it or not, that was the best I've played in front of someone without Kondo-sensei here with me."

A finger reached out and pressed a key softly. "I know it was horrible—I can tell you twenty mistakes that I made, and then twenty more, but…"

She bit her lip.

Tezuka's gaze told her that he was listening closely.

She took a deep breath, and she realized with something akin to horror that she was still shaking, and that her voice was trembling and cracking. But it was too late to back out now. She'd done all of this, and she wouldn't let it be for nothing.

"I'll practice when you're in Germany. And when you come back… when you come back recovered… I'll play it for you perfectly."

Shizue met his gaze, and Tezuka felt a surge of pride when he saw a steely glint of determination in her eyes.

"I promise."

He nodded.

_And he got her message._

.

It was the last time they'd see each other in a long time.

Shizue looked at the ground, the sky, the trees, and the bushes awkwardly.

Everywhere except for him.

Tezuka, on the other hand, almost seemed to be staring a hole into her face. He didn't know why, it was almost as if he wanted to memorize what her face looked like (which was just silly) or try to make out what she was thinking.

He raised his hand, and it was painfully slow and hesitant, but in a sweet sort of way that they both welcomed. It landed on her left shoulder, featherlight, and she had to check out of the corner of her eye to see if it was really there.

'_Take care of yourself.'_

She finally met his gaze, and her hair fell against his hand.

Tears were stinging against her eyes, and she blinked them back furiously. She was supposed to show _support_, not make him worry more.

"I'll practice every day," she managed to rasp.

'_So come back soon.'_

He offered her a solemn nod.

'_I will.'_

Her left hand moved up, up, and it pushed her hair off of her shoulder.

Her fingers brushed against his.

Shizue had never touched a boy outside her family in her life before, with her aversion for people, and she didn't know whether the strange sensation was normal for physical contact, or if it was something more.

Her hand didn't leave.

'_So this is goodbye.'_

His didn't, either.

'_Aa.'_

And she smiled.

They both took a step back, and while their arms remained in the same position, their fingers were no longer touching.

'_Goodbye.'_

.

"…and so, this project is on the book that you were assigned to read, and will be due in approximately three weeks. I hope you get along with your seatmate well, as you will be working together for quite a few more projects, as well."

Shizue sighed and looked at the empty seat next to her.

"Suzuki-kun?"

She looked up. "Yes, sir?"

The teacher pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Would you like to pick a group to work with?"

"_I bet Suzuki made Tezuka-kun do all the work. There's no way she's smart enough to do all of that. Have you ever seen her answer a question in class?"_

"_Ugh, I hate it when people take advantage of Tezuka-kun. Why does she sit next to him, anyway? She can't be ranked second, she's not the vice-president."_

"_She's probably ranked last, and they just put her there to raise her grades."_

Shizue smiled. "I'll be fine on my own, sir."

She'd show them.

.

Two weeks later, her poster was given a perfect score and was presented to the class as an example.

o

o

o

**A/N:** I'M SO SORRY I TOOK FOREVER. It was so frustrating for me to write, and it never really clicked until the piano scene.

Finally, some physical contact for you guys! I know some of you asked for it via PMs, and it took me a while to try to make it in-character for Tezuka. (It probably still isn't, but I think I like it anyway.)

Don't worry, Tezuka will appear in the next chapter again.

I had the last part parallel the first chapter a bit. Did you notice? :P


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** IT'S LATE, I KNOW. I'm sorry!  
**Summary**: People think they're the quietest people on Earth. They're not. They chatter, scream, and laugh just like everyone else. They just go unheard. Luckily, they have an acute sense of hearing, and through silent conversations, they'll fall in love. TezukaXOC  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

o

o

o

Shizue walked to class, her head ducked and her hair covering her ears.

It wasn't enough to block out anything, but the habit of pretending that it did had stuck with her.

"_Suzuki-chan looks so sad now that Tezuka-kun's gone."_

"_Aw, I feel so bad…"_

"_Did they break up before he left? They don't seem like the type to have a long-distance relationship."_

"_How would you know that? We've never seen them actually talk."_

She idly wondered how Tezuka walked through the hallways, head held high, when people seemed to talk about him right and left. Was he just that oblivious? Did he just not care?

"Morning, Suzuki-chan!"

Shizue turned and saw Eiji smiling at her brightly.

He fell into step with her happily, chattering away about the toothpaste that he'd used that morning.

She nodded along absently, only half-focusing on his ramblings. The other half of her mind was wondering if Tezuka had told his team to look out for her in his absence. One of the regulars always seemed to show up to talk to her at some point in school, when the whisperings reached their peak.

"…and then, when my sister came down and sat on the folded laundry, my mom just blew it!"

He poked her cheek, and she jumped back into full focus. Literally.

"Are you okay, Suzuki-chan? You don't look so good."

She smiled, but Eiji kept looking at her blankly.

Shizue remembered that he was expecting her to answer.

She nodded.

.

Shizue stared at the piano keys.

"_I promise."_

She'd sworn to him that she'd practice every day, and she had. She had promised that she'd play the piece for him perfectly, and she would.

She just didn't know how.

Shizue took a deep, frustrated breath.

She could play the piece alone. It wasn't always perfect, but she was satisfied.

But this time, even being able to play it perfectly on her own wasn't enough.

A pair of hazel eyes flashed in her mind.

There had been something in his eyes that day. It wasn't the usual gentleness or concentration that they usually held—it had been sharp and fiery, but… pleasant. She'd felt happy and warm when she saw that look in his eyes, and she wanted to see it again.

So much, _so much_.

She wanted to see _him_ again. She wanted to see Tezuka, and she wanted to make sure that he wasn't disappointed when he arrived. She'd let him down once, and she refused to do it again.

Shizue rested her hand on the keys again, and began to play.

_She would do this._

Somehow.

Shizue didn't know how, and she wondered if she ever would.

.

"Suzuki-senpai?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you play the piano?"

Shizue glanced at Sakuno, and turned towards the window. Her eyes misted over dreamily as she began to speak.

"I love the piano. It makes me happy."

"Why?"

The corners of her mouth were slowly moving up.

"It's… complicated. I'm not much of a talker, but… I can say anything I want through the piano."

_It makes me happy._

_I can say anything I want…_

She wanted to make him happy when he returned.

She wanted to be able to say anything to him.

It clicked. She'd known all of this before, of course, but it had finally clicked and locked in place. Why she wanted to see that warm, fiery look in his eyes, why she didn't want to disappoint him.

"Ryuzaki-san… Do you mind if I play something?"

It was nowhere near perfect. But this time, she'd made forty mistakes instead of forty-five.

Shizue smiled.

It would take some work, but she'd get it.

She wanted to make him happy, after all.

.

Days were melting into weeks.

The tennis team, along with Sakuno, left to attend a training camp of some sort. Shizue didn't know all the details, but it was supposedly a big deal.

She didn't have anyone to talk—or, rather, listen to—during school anymore. There was no Sakuno to talk to after school.

It had been the life that she held just a few weeks before, but it was lonelier than she remembered.

.

Shizue slipped into her shoes and opened the door to leave for school. She wanted to go early today and pick out a book before class started.

She blinked.

There were two girls standing at her doorway, beaming. One was Sakuno, and the other, if she recalled correctly, was her friend.

"Suzuki-senpai!" they chorused, taking a gentle hold of each of her arms. "You have to hurry up and come with us."

"What's going on?"

Sakuno's friend—Tomoka, was it?—winked and gave her a sly grin. "You'll see. We have to hurry, though!"

The three of them made a strange sight, half jogging and half fast-walking through the streets and tumbling through random bushes, which two of the girls claimed were "shortcuts".

They made their way past the gates, and veered towards the left of the building instead of going through the front doors.

"Where are we going?"

Sakuno smiled. "You'll know soon, Suzuki-senpai."

.

There was a commotion of some sort stirring throughout the courts, Tezuka noticed. He wondered what it was, and then he heard a very loud, very shrill, very familiar, very _female_ voice.

'_I'll have to talk to Osakada about disturbing practice… She's never been this loud before.'_

He turned stiffly, and froze.

There was the coach's granddaughter and her (loud) friend, who were currently towing along his seatmate.

His eyes flicked towards her face, and he was relieved to notice that it was decidedly fuller than the gaunt look it'd had the last time he'd seen her. He also noticed the bemused expression on her face, which changed to pure shock when her eyes met his.

She was stopped a few feet away from him.

They were both frozen, and Tezuka had no idea that the tennis club had stopped their clean-up and opted to observe the two of them instead.

Tezuka leaned forward into a small, discreet bow.

'_I'm home.'_

Tezuka had received loud exclamations of glee from his teammates when he had returned for camp, and he was never so thankful of Shizue's quiet nature before this moment.

Her face lit up into a smile. Her crooked tooth was visible, and the sun flashed silver against a scar that was on her cupid's bow.

'_Welcome back.'_

.

"_He's back?"_

"_Yes, he's back!"_

"_Doesn't Suzuki-chan look really happy?"_

"_Tezuka looks happy, too. Well, as happy as Tezuka can get."_

Tezuka was walking half a step in front of her, and the crowd in front of them seemed to part with his presence.

They passed their homeroom, and began to head in the direction of the library.

Shizue smiled and hugged the book that she was planning on returning to her chest.

'_How did he know?'_

There were more whisperings and stares, of course, with Tezuka here, but Shizue was more comfortable than she had been in weeks. Her chin was up, and her eyes were at the point just beyond Tezuka's arm instead of on the ground.

He slid the screen door of the library open, and walked inside.

Kato-sensei beamed at them from behind the counter. "Tezuka-kun, you're back!"

He bowed politely, and followed Shizue as she walked down the rows of shelves.

.

Kato loved to listen to Tezuka and Shizue. They usually didn't say much, but the quiet that surrounded the atmosphere around them was soft and comfortable.

But if they did talk, of course, she'd always be straining her ears to listen.

"Tezuka-kun?"

Kato squealed inwardly at Shizue's more use of the more informal ' –kun'.

There was a pause, and she assumed that Tezuka had turned to look at her.

"How did you know I needed to go to the library?"

There was sliding noise as a book was taken off of the shelf, and a _thump_ as it was placed back.

"You never hold a book in the mornings unless you need to exchange it for something."

It was quiet again, and there was another sliding noise as another book was picked out.

When Shizue emerged from behind the shelves with a new book, there was a small smile on her face.

When Tezuka came up behind her, Kato noticed him watching the way Shizue's waist-length hair swished back and forth as she walked.

.

'_There's something fascinating about Suzuki-senpai and Tezuka-senpai,'_ Sakuno mused as she took out her English workbook.

That was the only word that she could think that really fit them. She'd heard girls use "cute", "adorable", or even "perfect", but "fascinating" seemed to fit them best, in her opinion. She thought that the fact that they rarely ever spoke was strange, but the way they seemed to know what the other wanted to say through simple gestures and twitches of the muscles was heartwarming. It was almost as if they communicated through some variation of sign language.

She'd stumbled upon the two of them when she was on her way to buy groceries. They were simply standing, and their hands were touching.

It was strange, she mused, that the scene had been so intimate when their fingers hadn't even been interlocked.

Sakuno looked out the classroom door, and saw them walk by. Shizue was a bit behind Tezuka, as she always seemed to be, but their steps were in tandem.

Sakuno glimpsed their faces.

Shizue was smiling. It was tiny, really, but the soft curl of the corners of her lips coupled with the somewhat dreamy expression in her eyes was enough for anyone to tell that she was the happiest she'd been in weeks.

Tezuka was stoic as always.

'_Is he?'_ Sakuno wondered, tapping her pencil lightly against her desk. _'He looks the same as always, but something seems different…'_

They were almost out of sight, but when she caught a glimpse of their backs, she could see Tezuka's knuckles occasionally brushing against the ends of Shizue's long hair, which swished from side to side as she walked.

Sakuno couldn't tell if it was an accident or if he'd meant to do it.

But really, it was amazing what a simple touch could do.

o

o

o

**A/N:**

(This story is not yet completed.)

Whew! I'm glad that's done with. Once again, I'm sorry for the delay. We actually moved, so I was busy with adjusting to my new surroundings and catching up on the curriculum at this school. The parts where the chapter breaks off are where I would stop and start writing. It took me a few weeks to get this one out. Stupid writer's block…

But yes, there was one significant line in this chapter. "It was almost as if they communicated through some variation of sign language." This is a reference to another fic that I'll be posting shortly. It's… the sequel! I know, I know, it's weird for me to be writing a sequel when this story isn't even finished yet, but it's not exactly a sequel, per se. It's just a collection of oneshots involving Shizue and Tezuka because there are so many moments that I want to write, but it would never fit into the story.

The sequel will be called "Sign Language", hence the reference.

As always, please leave a review and tell me what you think.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** I'm late. I know. I'm sorry! It's extra long, though!  
**Summary**: People think they're the quietest people on Earth. They're not. They chatter, scream, and laugh just like everyone else. They just go unheard. Luckily, they have an acute sense of hearing, and through silent conversations, they'll fall in love. TezukaXOC  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

o

o

o

The entire class was buzzing.

"_Tezuka's back."_

"_I bet he's going to get a hundred on the test we have tomorrow."_

"_What? But he didn't even learn the material! He was going to make up the work he missed during the next break, remember?"_

"_So? He's Tezuka!"_

Shizue paused in her writing, and looked up. Tezuka continued to write, seemingly unfazed, but she could see the way he tightened his grip on his pencil ever so slightly, and his thumbnail grow white from the amount of pressure it was putting on his index finger.

She smiled at him, and he looked at her from the corner of his eye.

His expression seemed perfectly normal, even to her.

'_Has he always been hiding this side of himself to me?'_

.

When it was time for lunch, Tezuka remained seated and took his lunch out of his bag.

Shizue tugged on his sleeve gently.

"You should eat in the cafeteria. Your friends missed you."

He looked at her curiously, and she smiled.

"I'll be fine, Tezuka-kun. Go."

Tezuka would have objected, or at least have stayed seated, but there was something in that smile. She'd be fine.

He hesitated and stood up.

Shizue waved at him cheerily, and walked him to the door.

When he was gone, she went back to her desk and ate her lunch as fast as she could. She'd have a stomachache later, but she'd deal with that when it came.

She threw out her trash, grabbed her back, and walked briskly to the library.

.

"Shizue? What are you doing here again?"

Shizue smiled. "I need to use a computer."

Kato smiled. "All right. Just don't overwork yourself too much, okay? Lunch should be spent chatting with friends!"

She giggled and sat down at a computer, turning it on. Her notebooks were stacked in a pile in front of her.

It was time to put those fast fingers of hers to good use.

The home screen appeared, and she made a few clicks before a blank document sat in front of her.

Shizue opened the first notebook. It was for world history. She flipped the pages until the notes from the first day Tezuka had gone to Germany appeared.

Her fingers rested on the keyboard, and then they started flying.

.

Kato inched forward. Oh, the part where the heroine finally met her first _real_ confrontation was coming up, and the author was so good at building up the tension…

The corner of her book jostled into the open bottle of juice that she'd been drinking out of, and the juice fell to the floor, spilling everywhere.

"Oh, no…"

She looked at Shizue, who had moved on to her second notebook. "Shizue?"

Shizue looked up.

"I'm going to get the janitor." Kato winked playfully. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, okay?"

She giggled and nodded.

Kato walked out the door.

.

The door to the library slid open, and Shizue assumed it was Kato, coming back with the custodian.

"Kato-sensei? Is–"

Morita Nobu walked in, and she froze.

But he didn't do much, really. He just stared at her in a curious manner, before he walked over to a computer near hers.

"What are you doing here?"

Shizue looked at him, hesitating, wondering if she should answer.

He pulled a flash drive out of his pocket, and started running up an essay. "I have to print this out. What are you doing here?" he asked again.

"I'm… typing."

He smiled wryly. "Obviously."

"Tezuka-kun missed class, so I thought… I thought…"

She was scared, Nobu realized.

She had the right to be.

He looked at what she was typing skeptically, and shrugged when he saw notes for some sort of class.

"That's nice of you." He clicked _print_, and walked over to the printer.

He walked by her again to get the stapler.

"Look… I'm sorry."

Shizue stared at him.

"You can hate me all you want, but… I'm sorry."

She looked away. Did she hate him? She felt fear, and some anger, and even some resentment when she saw him, but did she hate him?

"I don't know if I hate you or not."

Nobu looked over, surprised by her sudden urge to talk. Her voice was so timid and weak, but the fact that she was talking in complete sentences without Tezuka around was something.

"I'm scared of you, and I'm mad, but… I don't know if I hate you. I don't _want_ to, but I… I might. I don't know if I do."

He nodded. "I can get that."

.

After school, they walked to the music rooms, with Shizue leading the way.

She felt nervous as always, and she was afraid her hands would just tense up in front of him even after all of the time she had put into this, and what if he didn't need her notes? What if he didn't like the piece?

She almost bumped into the door, but managed to stop and slide it open.

Shizue ignored the piano, and kept her eyes concentrated at her bag. She found the stack of notes she had been looking for, and held them out to Tezuka nervously.

"Next time…" she whispered. "Next time, will you tell me when you need help?"

His hands reached out to accept them.

"_It's not fair for you to have to do everything alone."_

Tezuka hesitated, but he nodded.

Shizue smiled, and walked over to the piano. She lifted the cover, and stroked a shining, ivory key.

And the first note sounded through the room, followed by the next, and the next.

It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever played. She could feel a lump forming at the back of her throat, and tears pricking her eyes. It flowed like a river.

And she could feel the song pulsing through her veins.

When she was finished, she looked at Tezuka and knew that he could, too.

.

They sat there, in the music room. Tezuka was holding the thick stack of notes, and was perusing them. He wasn't reading them as intently as he normally would have. Shizue could tell because there was no crease in-between his eyebrows.

She sat next to him quietly, waiting.

He finally broke the silence, his eyes never straying from the pages. But Shizue could see the hard look in his eyes—it was something she couldn't quite place.

"I'm recovered, but if I overexert myself, then I'll reinjure my shoulder again."

She looked at him.

"That's normal, but I still won't be able to play the way I want to."

His fingernails were turning white again, and she could see his knuckles and his tendons flexing a he tightened his grip on the papers.

"The way I used to."

Shizue didn't understand his dilemma. Her hands were perfectly fine, and she could play the piano to her heart's content. She could imagine, of course, what it would be like to never be able to _really_ play again, and she knew that it would come with old age, and the idea scared her so much that she knew it must be heartbreaking for Tezuka.

But she didn't have enough empathy to say something, offer something to him as comfort. She could only give him the same, steady, silent support that she always had.

It was amazing what a simple touch could do.

Shizue placed her hand on top of his, and kept it there until she felt the muscles of his hands relax.

Her head instinctively drooped to the side and rested lightly against his arm. To her surprise, he didn't stiffen, but the grip on her hand tightened. She couldn't tell if it was because of shock or of gratitude.

But she kept her hand there.

She couldn't feel her fingers.

Shizue knew that Tezuka refused to cry, even like this. He didn't know how to show her his suffering yet.

But she'd cried countless times for herself. So she decided to cry for him. And as the tears dropped, drip by drip, the warm, sad look in his eyes told her that it was enough.

.

Time flew now that Tezuka was back.

On the mornings when he didn't have tennis practice, he would pick her up from her house and walk with her to school. Sometimes it would be silent, with a few smiles. Other times, one of them would be speaking in hushed tones about school, piano, or tennis.

They'd walk through the gates and towards their classroom. They would compare their answers for last night's homework or discuss the subject of the day's lecture.

And then class would start, and the silence would come across them again.

At lunch, they would eat in the classroom. It would be silent except for the sounds of chewing mouths.

Class would start again, and the two would pay attention diligently.

Class would end, and they would go to their respective after-school activities. If he didn't have tennis practice, Tezuka would walk Shizue home or to her piano lessons. If she didn't have a piano lesson, Shizue would sit with Tomoka and Sakuno (if she didn't have practice herself) and watch the team train.

Other days, it would be lonelier.

Sometimes Tezuka had morning practice, now that Nationals were approaching. Shizue would walk to school alone.

These days, the tennis club had something going on. According to Sakuno, they held periodic tournaments that would determine the members who would become the Regulars. It took all day, and Tezuka would be down at the courts instead of in the classroom.

It was on one of these days that a girl stayed behind during lunch.

She was very pretty. Her skin was pale, and her hair was dyed a tasteful color that reminded Shizue of chestnuts. Her eyes sparkled in the light. She was tall and statuesque.

Shizue vaguely recognized her.

"_I bet she made Tezuka-kun do all the work."_

She walked to Shizue's desk, and towered over her seated form.

Shizue looked up at her, her eyes as big as saucers.

Something flashed in her eyes, and her pretty mouth opened and began to form words.

"How did you do it?"

Five seconds passed before Shizue answered.

"I beg your pardon?"

The girl's mouth curled into a sneer as she settled in a nearby chair, and Shizue decided that it would look much prettier in a smile.

"How did you get Tezuka-kun? There's nothing about you special. Nothing. Nothing. You're not that smart, you're not that pretty, you're not in a club, you weren't very well-known or popular, you're not, you're not …"

Something in the girl broke. As suddenly as it had appeared, the sneer slipped off, and her mouth contorted into something pained, and her voice ripped out into rapid sobs.

"You're not… You're not…"

Shizue could only stare.

"You didn't _do_ anything! I work so hard… so hard…"

The girl covered her face with her hands.

"Did you know? I was on my way to gymnastics during first year, and I saw him playing tennis against some upperclassmen. And the look in his eyes, that _look_…"

Shizue knew exactly what look the girl was referring to. Seeing it made her feel a bit more flustered, a bit more nervous, and a silly smile would form across her face.

"I work so hard just to be in the same _class_ as him, you know? I wanted to see him more. I only saw him in the hallways or after school during clubs, and it would only be for a few seconds. I just wanted to see him more. And… I work so hard to be pretty. I dye my hair, I exercise, I stretch, I diet. And he didn't even look at me! Not once, not once… And you're just… just _there_, and it takes him about two seconds to fall in love with you. You don't try to talk to him, like I did, or make him lunches that he'd never accept, or know what it's like for him not to notice."

The girl's voice broke again, and Shizue realized that this girl was Morita Nobu's sister.

"You don't even _try_ and you're everything that he could ever _want_ in a girl. How can you be so perfect without even trying? You're so pretty and nice and you got that hundred on your _own_, and I heard you playing piano the other day. You're so perfect without even trying, and it's _disgusting_. How did you do it?"

Something akin to pity washed over Shizue. Silence wasn't working for this girl the way it always worked for Tezuka, and while she didn't particularly like her, the girl was crying so hard that it was difficult for Shizue to _not_ want to comfort.

She slid her hand until her fingers brushed the girl's sleeve.

"I'm not…"

She took a deep breath. What if her words made her angry? What if she said something that would make the girl snap and break her fingers? Her fingers were so close to her hand. What if–

Shizue wrapped her fingers around the girl's wrist.

"I'm… I'm not perfect… Morita-san…"

This seemed to quell the girl's sobs the slightest bit.

"I'm only _really_ good at the piano, and I still practice hours and hours… And I get good grades because I work for them… I have to spend hours just to understand the basics in science or to understand the metaphors in literature. I work so hard… I forget to eat sometimes, because I'm always thinking about something else, which is probably why I'm thin when I don't exercise…"

Shizue released her grip on the girl's wrist, the sudden courage leaving her.

"I… I-I'm not… perfect."

The girl buried her head in her arms.

"My brother got that gang to molest you. He wouldn't have, but I just… I pretended to cry so hard because I knew he'd do _something_."

Shizue stopped breathing.

"It wasn't meant to go that far. Nobu doesn't have it in him to be so cruel."

Her desk was soaked with tears.

"I'm sorry, Suzuki-san… I'm so sorry."

Shizue drew her hand back and pushed her chair away from the girl.

"I'm just… I'm _sorry_."

Shizue stood up and ran for the door, scared out of her mind. What was she supposed to say next? Was she supposed to forgive her? She didn't want to, and she felt horrible about it, but a part of her was saying that this feeling was justified.

What was she supposed to do?

.

Tezuka wiped his forehead on the towel hanging around his neck. He started when he heard the rustle of the grass behind him.

It was Shizue.

He could tell from the look in her eyes that something was wrong.

He nodded at her, and she sat down next to him.

"Tezuka-kun?"

He was already turned towards her.

"Did you… Did you forgive the person who…"

She stopped. What if this question hurt him?

"Shizue."

The look in his eyes told her to continue, and it spilled out.

"Have you forgiven the person who hurt your arm?"

His eyes flickered with a certain vulnerable look that was hard to place, and Shizue immediately stood up, apologizing hastily and making excuses to go back to the classroom.

His words stopped her just as she turned away.

"It depends."

His voice was harsh and rough, and the muscles of his right arm were tense. But when he looked at her, she knew he was willing to speak.

She sat back down.

"Sometimes, I think that I'll never know how good I can be because of what he did. And then sometimes I'll think that this is just another wall for me to overcome."

Tezuka looked away, at his racket, and then at the courts nearby.

"_I want to prove them all wrong."_

Shizue smiled.

"_You will. I know you will."_

.

Morita Mayumi opened the door of her cubbyhole, reaching for her shoes.

A small piece of paper fluttered out.

The carefully-neat handwriting stood out black against the stark white of the paper.

_It's okay._

.

Shizue stared at her piano teacher across the table, the cookie in her mouth half-chewed.

" –I know it's sudden, but when you told me that you played that piece perfectly for that Tezuka boy, I knew that you finally _got it_. You can play in front of anyone without panicking now, once you have the right mindset, and we can work on that."

She forced herself to swallow.

"…When?"

"Next week. I can make arrangements for you to be home-schooled. I'll talk to your parents. They can come along, if they really want to."

Shizue's stare lowered onto the table.

Kondo sighed.

"Shizue, look at me."

She didn't, but he continued anyway.

"I know you've just started making friends, and I'm happy for you. But I won't be in Japan after this. I promised my wife that I'd go on my final tour with her around the world on our fiftieth anniversary. Now that she's… passed away… I'll be taking my best student."

Shizue didn't look up.

"Shizue, this is a big opportunity for you. If you debut now, as my handpicked student, as my duet partner, which is a position no one has held except for my wife, your career is set. You can learn so much more –not just from me. I've been invited to give lectures at schools like Julliard, the Curtis Institute, the Royal Academy of Music. You can come along as my guest and be a student teacher, and listen in on lectures whenever you want to. You'll be performing right on stage with me, accompanied by some of the best orchestras in the world."

Tears were streaming down her face. She was terrified. Adrenaline was coursing over her body, and her hands were trembling. She was thrilled. She'd been dreaming about something like this to happen all her life, and it was about to happen.

But what price would she have to pay for her dreams?

o

o

o

**A/N**:

I'll be honest. I rushed this chapter since it's the second-to-last one. I wanted to get this one finished quickly so I can focus on another story I'm writing. I also wanted to avoid dragging this out, since I think it's only possible to mature so much in a short amount of time. Other moments that I wanted to include will be written eventually, and posted to _Sign Language_.

But Nobu's sister made an appearance! I hope she was okay. I wanted to portray her to be someone jealous who lives in the moment and makes reckless decisions when her emotions take over her, and regrets later. I didn't want her to be _completely_ heartless, just very… emotional? (Slightly insane? XD)

I would like to thank everyone here for sticking with the story for so long. It'll be over in the next chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary: **People think they're the quietest people on Earth. They're not. They chatter, scream, and laugh just like everyone else. They just go unheard. Luckily, they have an acute sense of hearing, and through silent conversations, they'll fall in love. TezukaXOC  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Prince of Tennis.

o

o

o

They were walking to school.

Tezuka stopped, and Shizue found herself doing the same.

"We have a match next week."

"_Will you come?"_

She smiled.

"_Of course."_

.

"Are you Tezuka-kun's girlfriend?"

Shizue stared at the two adults, trying to hide her mortification.

One was a man in a striped, button-up shirt. The other was a woman, armed with a camera.

"We focus on Tezuka's playing, but everyone who reads the magazine is curious about all the players' personal lives," the woman explained sheepishly.

"Shizue."

She turned at the sound of Tezuka's voice, and instinctively pattered faster until she was closer to him, ignoring the hoots and knowing grins from the rest of the team.

The mischief suddenly ended, and the atmosphere grew tense when the Seigaku regulars met the opposing team.

Shizue hid behind Tezuka, fingering his sleeve, as the crowd suddenly began to cheer, "Losers! Losers!"

She saw the muscles on his shoulders tense, and his hand unknowingly tightened around her pinky.

Her grip on his sleeve tightened.

.

Shizue held a can of juice in her hands.

Tezuka looked at her from the corner of his eye.

There was an awed expression on her face that he had never seen before.

She looked at him, and the amazement in her eyes hit him like a ton of bricks.

"_Are all of your tennis matches like this?"_

He nodded, just as the crowd began to cheer.

Tezuka looked back at the court. Inui and Kaidoh were standing on the sidelines, talking about their win.

It was his turn now.

.

A ball hit the coach's stomach, forcing him back on the bench.

Shizue turned to Ryuzaki-sensei, horrified.

"Is that the person Tezuka-kun is playing against…?"

She nodded grimly, but gave her a smile.

"Don't worry. Tezuka can take him."

.

There was a stir as Tezuka's opponent got the first point.

Ryuzaki-sensei looked back at Shizue.

"What do you think of Tezuka right now?"

She looked confused.

"This is the first time I've seen him play tennis, Ryuuzaki-sensei."

Ryuzaki-sensei laughed. "No, what do you think he's feeling?"

Shizue looked his face.

"That's… That's the expression he gets when he's solving a hard math problem, sensei."

The tennis coach looked back at the game thoughtfully. "Is it really?"

The tide of the game suddenly changed, and Tezuka seemed to start going on the offensive.

He was up by the net, and Shizue noticed that as he reached out to hit the ball, he suddenly winced.

The ball hit the edge of his racket, and went out.

"He flinched. Why?"

Ryuzaki-sensei sighed. "His opponent kicked up some gravel in his eyes."

Tezuka seemed to be saying something.

Shizue held the can of juice tightly.

He looked sad.

She'd only seen that expression on his face once, when they were freshmen. It was around the same time when rumors about him began to circulate, about a senior who'd injured his arm.

And then he started _glowing_.

.

She supposed that his tennis style was very much like his personality.

Upon first glance by a novice tennis spectator, it would seem boring. It lacked the style and the flair that other players had.

But every one of his movements was precise and calculated. He moved in a fluid, smooth way that seemed to surpass other players' movements.

His techniques were more subtle than other players'. They almost seemed like normal shots that people had to look for. It had taken her two games to realize that there was something incredible in the way that he could have his opponent running around the court while he never moved his feet. She hadn't known the significance of the "Zero-Shiki Drop Shot" that she'd heard so much about until she'd seen the ball hit the ground and roll back towards the net.

But once she knew what to look for, his tennis was almost overwhelming.

It was extraordinary.

.

Tezuka walked back from the court.

Shizue stood up to meet him.

His glasses glinted in the light, and she beckoned for him to lean down.

He complied, and they ignored the snickers they got from the others.

His face was about three inches from hers.

"Your glasses are scratched."

He nodded, and straightened up.

They ignored the exasperated sigh that made its way to their ears.

.

_They were walking home._

_Their steps were in perfect tandem and they were next to each other for once, as Tezuka's steps had gotten slightly smaller and Shizue's steps had grown slightly larger. _

_They'd found a happy balance._

_Shizue reached out and caught the sleeve of his shirt._

_When he turned to look at her questioningly, she pulled out a small slip of paper and held it out to him with both hands._

_Tezuka looked at it. _

_It was a concert ticket. _

_Shizue met his gaze, and she smiled sadly. _

"_So this is goodbye…"_

"_I told Kondo-sensei about how I could play Liebestraum for you perfectly. And… Tezuka-kun, I'm ready."_

_Her eyes were shining, and they were half-happy, half-regretful. _

"_I… I've played for someone perfectly. Kondo-sensei said that… I just have to remember that mindset to perform in front of audiences. It'll take a lot of practice, but I'm ready. I'll be making my debut. If all goes well, then I could have a record deal, a stable future… Tezuka-kun, I've been dreaming about this for so long."_

_Tezuka braced himself for the "but…" that he could see in the regret._

"_Kondo-sensei promised his wife that on their fiftieth anniversary, they'd just pick up and leave for a world tour. He's decided to take his best student in her place because she's passed away, and… Tezuka-kun, he picked me."_

_He was as silent and as expressionless as ever, and for once, Shizue couldn't tell what he could possibly be thinking. The thought scared her._

_He finally spoke._

"_How long?"_

_The excited smile that had grown across her face faded. _

"…_Three years. It's a long tour, but Kondo-sensei said that he'll be teaching at music schools and visiting some old friends."_

"_When?"_

_Shizue pushed the ticket closer. "This concert will be the first concert in his tour. We'll be leaving five days after for Shanghai. Kondo-sensei made arrangements for me to have a complete high-school education."_

_The ticket quivered as her hands shook._

"_Tezuka-kun, please come. I'll be playing the final piece. I have to remember the mindset I had when I played for you that day, Tezuka-kun. Please come."_

_He took the ticket with a small smile._

"_What makes you think I wouldn't?"_

_She beamed and the crooked tooth shined and the scar flashed in the light, and he cleared his throat._

"_I should tell you now."_

_Her expression grew curious._

"_I will be moving to Germany in order to train for tennis."_

_Her eyes widened._

"_How long will you live there?"_

"_Until I finish high school, at the very least."_

_She nodded. _

"_Kondo-sensei met his wife in Germany. It should be one of our more frequent spots."_

"We'll see each other there, won't we?"

_He seemed to relax. "Aa."_

_She beamed at him again._

_Her eyes sparkled._

"Good."

.

Sakuno ran up to Shizue. "Suzuki-senpai! Suzuki-senpai!"

The senior turned, surprised at Sakuno's uncharacteristic boldness.

"Is it true? Will you be touring with Kondo-sensei?"

Shizue smiled bashfully and nodded.

Sakuno hugged her upperclassman tightly. "Congratulations!"

Shizue's smile widened. "Who will your new teacher be?"

Sakuno giggled. "Kondo-sensei teamed up with Grandmother. Sakaki-sensei from Hyotei will be taking over, which is funny, since he's the one who convinced Kondo-sensei to teach me in the first place."

Shizue hadn't met this Sakaki-sensei, but Sakuno assured her that he was an extremely competent teacher who would almost be as strict as Kondo-sensei was.

.

They were dress shopping. Shizue needed an appropriate gown for the upcoming concert, and Kondo-sensei had assured her parents that he would pay the bill.

"_Nothing too revealing, though I suppose that won't be a problem with you. Nothing too flashy, either. You don't want to take attention away from the piece. My wife always said that simple, timeless elegance is the best way to go."_

Shizue's mother shuddered at one of the dresses the employees had suggested. "I don't care how pretty my daughter is and how wonderful she'll look in that dress. That's too low-cut."

Shizue sat idly. While she did pay attention to her appearance and the clothes she wore, she didn't particularly care about her attire for the concert. She had been spending every free moment practicing, and even now, her fingers were moving along to the fingering of the piece she'd be playing.

"What do you think of this one, Shizue?"

She blinked at the dress that was being held out in front of her.

As disinterested as she was, the dress _was_ very pretty…

She smiled and stood up to try it on.

.

That night, Shizue crept into the living room, where her mother would read for an hour before cooking dinner.

"Mother?"

Her mother smiled. "What is it, darling?"

She hesitated.

The smile on her mother's face faded a little, and she closed her book before getting up and crossing the room to pull Shizue into a hug. A finger tucked a strand of Shizue's hair behind her ear.

"I've known you for your whole life, Shizue. I know what you're going to ask."

Shizue bit her lip hastily. "Not for the whole trip, Mother. Just…"

"You don't want your father and I to be hovering over you for too long."

She shook her head. "Well, not…"

Her mother raised an eyebrow. "Shizue, be honest with me."

"…Yes."

Shizue found herself pulled into another tight, warm hug.

"Darling, you've grown up so much in the last few months. It's wonderful to see you so confident, but it makes your father and I a little sad at the same time. We've been protecting you for fourteen years. It's strange now that we don't have to."

Her mother's hand slid down her arm and grasped her own.

"But then again, we never really had to for a long time now. We just couldn't stop, and you've had to pay for it."

Shizue looked down at the floor, looking ashamed.

"Will you call every day?"

A nod.

"Will you remember to get at least nine hours of sleep? You know how particular your father is about that."

Another nod.

"You'll eat your vegetables? Everything, even kale?"

Another nod.

Her mother smiled. "I know I don't have to ask any of this, not with you. I'll talk to your father after dinner. We'll have to join you two weeks later until your father's paperwork for his sabbatical gets done, but after that, we'll only tour with you for a year, if you promise to come home to visit for at _least_ two weeks for every major holiday. Kondo-sensei has been like family for years now. He won't let anything remotely bad happen to you, and I have a feeling that he'll be even stricter than we are once he has you to himself."

Shizue started to cry.

"Thank you, Mother."

She wrapped her arms around her mother's waist and buried her face into her shoulder. Her hair smelled like shampoo, her neck smelled like the perfume that she could never remember the name of, and her clothes smelled like home.

"_I love you."_

.

Shizue was scared beyond her mind.

She was in a room Suntory Hall.

_The_ Suntory Hall. One of Japan's most famous concert halls.

People had filed into the halls and found their seats about an half an hour ago.

The room was sound-proof, so she couldn't hear Kondo-sensei playing, or the people clapping.

She could just hear her breaths and her heartbeat.

Her hands were encased in wool gloves, to ensure that her fingers didn't get cold and stiffen up.

In about an hour, she would have to go on stage, in front of hundreds of people. Her piece was short –about two minutes long–but what if she froze up? What if she made a mistake?

Kondo-sensei had left a plate of cookies and a pot of warm tea for her, but she was too nervous to eat.

Shizue closed her eyes.

She had to remember to breathe.

.

"_What if I make a mistake?" she whispered._

_Tezuka looked at her. _

"_You won't."_

"_What if I don't even make it on stage? What if, Tezuka-kun, what if I–"_

_He met her gaze, effectively silencing her._

"_Trust yourself."_

_She shook her head, running her hands up and down her arms._

_His hand touched her shoulder._

"I trust you,"_ he seemed to be saying. _"So trust yourself."

.

There was half an hour left.

She was playing scales, sixteen notes a second, then seventeen, then eighteen–

She flied through her arpeggios, and even played some simple warm-up pieces that she used to play when she first started.

She remembered the look he'd had in his eyes the day she'd played _Liebestraum_ perfectly.

It made a rush of _something_ flow through her mind, her lungs, her veins.

She didn't know what it was, but she wanted to feel it again and maybe even figure out what it was.

.

Tezuka clapped, along with everyone else, as Kondo Minoru stood and made his way to a microphone that had been set up a few feet away from the piano.

"I'm sure all of you have heard that one of my students will be making her debut at this concert."

There was a wave of murmurs, but Kondo plowed through it.

"The student who I have picked to accompany me on my tour is the first student that I ever taught. I'll come clean and say that I play favorites when it comes to students, and she is my most prized pupil. She's always had the most talent and potential, and she's grown as a pianist and as a person in the ten years I've taught her. She's become something of a granddaughter to me.

"She has chosen to play Evard Grieg's Op. 43, No. 1, more commonly known as _Sommerfugl _or _Papillon_, which translates into _Butterfly_. It suits her personality well."

He turned his head to the side, as if checking for someone, and looked back towards the audience.

"Here she is: Suzuki Shizue."

Tezuka watched as she came walked out onto the stage. She was in a modest, one-shoulder, floor-length dress. It was light purple. From the front, the strap looked suspiciously like two uneven loops for a bright, sparkly purple, but when she turned to the side and sat at the bench, he realized that when combined with the two loops that held the dress up in the back, it made a butterfly. Half of her was pinned back, and a white rose was pinned into it.

.

She couldn't see him, but she knew that Tezuka was there.

"_Trust yourself."_

Her fingers found their way to the keys.

_Sommerfugl_.

Butterfly.

She'd fallen in love with the piece the moment Kondo-sensei had played it for her. He'd said that it had been his wife's favorite piece, and that she would have wanted to play it for her if she had still been alive.

"_She would have thought it suited you,"_ he had said.

It was light and airy, but it was sober and wistful.

She forced her fingers to move, and suddenly, the concert hall was frozen in time. It didn't matter, none of it mattered. There was a rush of blood soaring through her ears, and she couldn't even hear her heart beat anymore. She could only hear the piece.

'_Keep your touch on the keys light.'_

'_Remember the ritardo.'_

'_Remember the natural C.'_

'_The D has to be sharp, not natural.'_

'_Ritardo here.'_

'_Press the pedals here.'_

'_Keep your left hand light!'_

'_Pianissimo at measure thirty-one.'_

The notes she'd written in her sheet music echoed through her head.

All the circles, all the highlights, all the attention…

She paid extra care to stretch her pinky at a particular spot.

All of the hours she'd put into this piece, for this moment…

It was suddenly over, and for a second, Shizue couldn't believe it.

The thundering applause brought her back to reality.

The stage lights were blinding as she looked for Tezuka. She couldn't see him.

"Encore! Encore!"

"_I trust you. So trust yourself."_

She sat back on the bench, in a daze, and suddenly the rush washed over her again as she began to play.

.

Tezuka was waiting for her by the back door, just as she'd asked him to.

He was holding white roses, like the ones she wore in her hair.

He looked at her, and nodded.

The look was in his eyes again.

The rush took over her body, filling her brain, her lungs, her veins.

She still didn't know what it was.

.

Shizue stood at the airport, fiddling with her skirt.

Kondo-sensei had gone to buy a cup of coffee, and her parents had just left after her father had been paged to go to the hospital.

Tezuka stood in front of her.

She looked at him, with a watery smile set on her face.

"Don't let your guard down."

She laughed and reached for his hand.

His hand met hers halfway, and their fingers interlocked for a brief, bittersweet moment.

"_I'll miss you."_

The moment was interrupted by catcalls. Shizue jumped, mortified to see the Regulars standing there with Sakuno and Tomoka, who looked ecstatic.

Tezuka glared at them, and they quieted down, though the smug smirks on their faces failed to fade away.

He cleared his throat. "You should say goodbye to them."

She walked over, and gave Sakuno and Tomoka a long hug. She smiled and laughed shyly when the Regulars offered her one-armed hugs, pats on the back, ruffles of the hair, and even the full-on glomp from Eiji.

Kondo appeared and tapped her shoulder. "Let's go, Shizue. We're flying first class so we had more time, but if we don't go now, we'll never make it through security."

Shizue awkwardly readjusted the straps of her small backpack. "Yes, sir."

He walked forward stiffly, snapping at the security guard for something that she couldn't quite hear.

Shizue took a deep breath, and walked forward.

In the movies, the heroine always looked back before running into the hero's arms. They would kiss, and cry, and sometimes the heroine would even decide not to go, that it was better to give up her dream because it wasn't as important to her anymore.

Shizue looked back.

Tezuka nodded.

She smiled.

And she gave a tiny wave before she turned back and walked through the gates, where Kondo-sensei was waiting for her impatiently.

"_See you soon."_

o

o

o

**A/N (extra long, since there are some important things I need to discuss publicly):**

To listen to the piece that Shizue played, search "Grieg Plays Grieg Butterfly (1906)". I imagined for Shizue to play it with a lighter touch. There should be a link to a picture of Shizue's dress somewhere on my profile.

Some issues I feel I need to address because people keep asking (or will ask) via review/PM (but mainly PM):

_Why did you make Shizue and Tezuka both decide to leave?_

I had Shizue and Tezuka both choose to leave each other behind (only not really, since they didn't know the other was going to leave Japan, too) for multiple reasons. Yes, they're perfect for each other. (At least in my mind.) I specifically created Shizue to be someone who is compatible with Tezuka, and can avoid the typical conflicts that are usually created in relationships due to lack of communication or miscommunication. But they're only fourteen. They're mature for their ages, yeah, but that's just it: they're mature enough to know that they only have one moment to reach their dream, and that relationships at that age usually don't work out. They're both incredibly determined, and I felt that they both gave up too much for their goals already for them to just suddenly decide not to fulfill them.

I also had Tezuka (specifically) decide to leave Japan because it is canon. I tried to make the story _not_ contradict the original plotline as much as possible.

_Why are you ending the story now? NOW? When they haven't even started dating?_

To be honest, I don't think these two will ever start officially dating in the sense of one of them confessing his/her feelings for the other, and the two going on dates. They're too introverted and focused to do that. (If one of them was more extroverted, that'd be a different story.) They already have a lot of stuff on their plates, and things will keep piling up as their lives go on. They just enjoy each other's company when they're together, and have feelings for each other. The way they interacted in this story _is_ the way that these two "date".

(So please stop harassing me about it, kthnxbye. 8D)

_How did you pick the pieces that Shizue would play?_

Gah, I spent so long just trying to pick a piece. I'll confess that Shizue has some of my elements in her, but only for musical interpretation, since I found it too hard to create another interpretation of a piece once you already have one. To pick and describe the pieces that she played, I would have to pick a piece, do some more research about the composer and the history behind the song, look at the score (or the parts that were in treble clef, since I'm a violinist, not a pianist) and see how I would play it, and then find a recording that best fit that interpretation.

(I just laughed when I tried to picture myself as someone like Shizue in terms of personality. Pffffft.)

_Another Note:_

Please, if you are unsatisfied with the ending, just deal with it. I'm tired of receiving rude PMs saying that you love my writing, but hate how slowly their relationship is developing. Their relationship is subtle, and it's slow, but that's _them_. Tezuka is not impulsive and rash enough to have a whirlwind romance, and I created Shizue to be the same way. The rude PMs have made me grow less fond of this story, to the point where I almost decided not to write _Sign Language_. So if you want to tell me if you are unsatisfied with anything, please let me know _in a polite manner_.

Of course, I don't want to end this on a negative note, so I will say this: a vast majority of you readers were very kind and supportive, and I would not have been able to grow so much as a writer if it weren't for you all. I would constantly push myself to write things of better quality so I wouldn't disappoint you. Thank you for all of your support and your encouragement.


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